Sweet Victory: Syracuse 87, Gonzaga 65
by Sean Keeley on Mar 21, 2010 10:55 PM EDT
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PrintSyracuse came into the tournament with losses to Pittsburgh, Louisville and Georgetown. The Orange heard from plenty of people that they're not as good as Kansas and maybe they shouldn't be a one-seed.
Well, all of these teams are home right now while Syracuse in the Sweet Sixteen. Furthermore, with their 87-65 decimation of 8-seed Gonzaga, the Orange reasserted themselves as one of the teams to beat, with or without Arinze Onuaku.
Wes Johnson poured in a career-high 31 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, leading Syracuse to an 87-65 victory over Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Johnson, the Big East Player of the Year, and [Andy] Rautins combined to make 9-of-15 three-point tries for Syracuse, which finished 12-of-25 from beyond the arc. The Orange again played without center Arinze Onuaku, who also sat out Friday's contest because of a quadriceps injury suffered during the Big East Tournament.
"When Wes and I are hitting our shots we're a tough team to beat," said Rautins.
Most impressive about the victory was not Wes Johnson's career day. Nor was it Andy Rautins' inability to miss from beyond the arc. It wasn't even the heady play of Scoop Jardine, who played like a point guard on a mission at times. Or Brandon Triche, who continues to turn it around.
The most impressive thing was the way Orange without Arinze...and Rick Jackson. Jackson got in foul trouble early in the game. With three fouls and the Orange only up one with 8:58 to play in the first half, Jackson left his teammates to fend for themselves. DaShonte Riley came up with the assumption that he would have to play the bulk of the half...and possibly the game. It seemed as though it would only be a matter of time before Gonzaga tore through the SU frontcourt and took control of the game. Instead, SU went on a 9-0 run and never looked back. After all the talk about how the Orange couldn't win without it's big men, they did exactly that.
With the win, Syracuse heads to Salt Lake City where they will play in their 19th Sweet Sixteen. The Orange also reached the 30-win mark for the fourth time ever and the first time since the 2002-03. You may have heard of that team.
The win reminded me of the way I saw this Syracuse team play earlier in the season. Back in November and December, this team would beat quality opponents at will. They seemed unstoppable and capable of going off on scoring runs at any given moment. The team has flashed since then but hasn't always resembled that squad. In the first two games of the NCAA Tournament, they certainly have.
How bout Wes Johnson though? How much did Wes need a "Wes Goddamn Johnson" game in order to remind the country how good he is? This is the Big East Player of the Year. Not Scottie "Sitting On His Couch In Philly" Reynolds. Wes is on the verge of truly making his reputation and his legacy at SU. Something tells me he's just getting started.
And of course, we have to recognize the hard work of DaShonte Riley. Riley once again came into the game and immediately made a mistake. And then he settled down. After that, he put together 15 extremely respectable minutes of work. He didn't put much on the stat sheet, but he didn't give Gonzaga much either. That's a win. (And that's not to mention that absolutely amazing pass he threw to Triche...Call him Magic Riley).
Butler awaits in the round of sixteen. We'll get to them in a little bit. In the meantime, savor the hell out of this Orange fans. We are who we thought we were...even if no one else did. They sure as hell know it now.
"This team has come to play every game. I've never had a team that's come to play every game." - Jim Boeheim
More links, recaps and videos below.
SU-Gonzaga Recap...Brent Axe
What they're saying about Syracuse's win over Gonzaga...Syracuse.com
SU displays blaze of offense in win over Gonzaga...Donna Ditota
Sweet victory: Syracuse overcomes foul problems to blow out Gonzaga...Mike Waters
Ticket information for Syracuse's Sweet 16 game...Syracuse.com
Brandon Triche puts in solid body of work in Buffalo...Donna Ditota
FEELING GOOD: Johnson returns to form, powers SU to Sweet 16 appearance...Daily Orange
Johnson's hand is OK in Syracuse's win over Gonzaga...Mike Waters
Johnson’s faith is rewarded...Yahoo! Sports
Syracuse Avoids the Kansas Curse...Fanhouse
Syracuse earns bragging rights on March Madness’ Canada Day...National Post
Syracuse aces audition for role of title favorite...CBSSports.com
Johnson is healthy and Syracuse again looks like a title contender...Stewart Mandel
| NCAA 2nd Round: SU-Gonzaga Players Post-Game Press Conference |
| NCAA 2nd Round: SU-Gonzaga Coach Boeheim Post-Game Press Conference |
| NCAA 2nd Round: Gametime at HSBC |
Gus Johnson before the SU-Zags game. He's fired up.
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Still fightin the fight
Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician - The Syracuse blog that cares.
by Sean Keeley on Mar 21, 2010 11:13 PM EDT up reply actions
I like your want-to
I think this blog can snowball into something that catches fire.
Syracuse players have a lot of length.
This blog
Truly is the Little Engine that Could
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
That pass he threw
was to Triche.
I’m loving that the 3 teams we lost to are all out of the tournament, though. I was nervous with Pitt in our bracket.
KNOCK ON WOOD
But really, Kansas and Pitt losing eliminated two very bad matchups for Syracuse.
Now, come on Xavier!
...it's the most bullshit thing I've seen in thirty years.
by Girardi Party on Mar 21, 2010 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions
F**k you, Gary Parrish
Sorry. I don’t normally cuss. But this is important.
by lemonysnicket9 on Mar 21, 2010 11:23 PM EDT reply actions
Back in November and December, this team would beat quality opponents at will. They seemed unstoppable and capable of going off on scoring runs at any given moment. The team has flashed since then but hasn’t always resembled that squad. In the first two games of the NCAA Tournament, they certainly have.
I’d include January, too, the first Pitt loss notwithstanding. Remember that remarkable three-game road trip where the Orange dismantled Rutgers, West Virginia, and Notre Dame in a span of six days? That was when I think we all started to believe, and it wasn’t until Wes’ injury and the Louisville loss that the wheels started to come off (relatively speaking).
...it's the most bullshit thing I've seen in thirty years.
There is a fucking ghost at the 20 secondish mark of the Boeheim video
I swear, i thought a demon was standing behind me.
One thing that everyone overlooked with Riley is that yes, he didn’t get much gametime this year, but he did go against the best team in the country every day in practice.
hindsight is 20-13 just like Ted William actual vision- ken tremendous
and this is damn good point!!
#21 - Get Well, AO
I fight like a girl
"Being mad ruins my day way more than it ruins the day of the person I’m mad at." -Dave Blazer's Edge
by galacticlove on Mar 22, 2010 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions
I enjoyed
this team without AO. I wouldn’t mind seeing another game with him dressed in his seamless velour tracksuit on the bench. I wouldn’t mind if he took advantage of the 2 for 1 suit deal at Jos. A. Bank and went to a cocktail dinner next Thursday during the game.
I wouldn’t mind that.
'I like my baked potatoes with just a little bit of... nothing.'
You can't expect 10-12 three's a game
Gonzaga foolishly didn’t make Syracuse beat them on the inside. Butler will learn from Gonzaga’s mistakes.
you all realize we're winning the title, right?
seriously. we’re going to keep raging on these fools for 4 more games.
THE CORSICANA KID IS 4 REAL
BK: This guy is on fire, he is really smokin'.
KenKo: Oh yeah, Bill? What's he smokin'?
anyone else note the last ncaa tourney games as big as wes' yesterday?
GMac vs. BYU in 2004 and Melo vs. Texas in 2003 were the last two 30+ point games in the tourney.. you’d have to go back to ‘96 (when I was 6.. hence.. why I don’t go back that far on this) for the previous one…
damn fine job.. now let’s get the big guy healthy enough to help against butler in slc!!
#21 - Get Well, AO
I fight like a girl
"Being mad ruins my day way more than it ruins the day of the person I’m mad at." -Dave Blazer's Edge
Well I was 15, and John Wallace, who may not have had a 30 point game
Picked us up and dragged us to the final.
As good as Melo was, and in spite of us actually winning in ‘03,
John W’s performance in ’96 is still my fav.
That 3 vs Georgia doesn’t get near enough play in the Cuse historical clips pantheon.
The 'Cuse is in tha house, oh my God oh my God.
by StrawHatGuy on Mar 22, 2010 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions
completely agree
I was just about 14 at the time, having just moved from ’Cuse to CT, and was going bonkers. He willed the team to victory.
I said it this weekend and I’ll say it again: When this team is challenged or discounted, they answer the bell.
Butler is a good shooting, tempo-slowing team. We gotta make them run so they don’t have enough leg to put behind their shots.
by TheRenegadePumpkin on Mar 22, 2010 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Agreed
I was a sophomore at ’Cuse when that shot went in, and I just remember everyone exploding out of their dorm rooms, and running down to Marshall St., delirious, after he hit it. This was before the days of text messaging, blogging, etc., youngins, so it was remarkable that everyone just instinctively started running around, high-fiving strangers, etc., because no one told us to do it – it just…happened.
His performance in the title game was nothing short of heroic, because it is the same old Syracuse story – short rotation, playing against a Pitino-coached team that pressed and ran us to death with their depth and athleticism, but Wallace still (and this is from memory, so forgive me if I’m wrong), went out and put up like 29 points before fouling out late. We were still sort of in the game at that point, but as soon as he fouled out, our guys just visibly collapsed, and that was that. That guy definitely is an underrated ’Cuse legend.
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
by kotite4ever on Mar 22, 2010 10:40 AM EDT up reply actions
Contrary to popular belief
I do not have to be told by a text or a blog to high five people when something good happens. Robots, maybe, but not blogs.
Well
You know what I mean
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
by kotite4ever on Mar 22, 2010 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions
And who doesn't love robots?
"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998
by kotite4ever on Mar 22, 2010 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I love Kris Joseph.
When Wes was hurt and Kris Joseph showed us what he’s capable of on offense, there was a quote from him talking about how he knew with Wes hurt he’d have to step up.
And yesterday you could tell he was thinking the same thing with AO out. Early on KJo was jumping all over the place, grabbing boards and mixing it up with the big guys. In the end, his stat line isn’t fantastic (5 pts [0-3], 7 RBs, 3 assists and 5 turnovers). But those 7 rebounds are huge because I feel like he set a tone early on the teams energy level and that they weren’t going to be rolled over by Gonzaga’s big guys.
Could Riley be 2010's Craig Forth?
I could just have a faulty memory, but I don’t remember Craig Forth doing much in games other than being 7’ tall. I remember in 2003, when things were rolling early in the championship game he scored a few points and I was going nuts because I was so shocked to see him get the ball in the basket.
And McNeil was the guy that banged some bodies around, pulled down rebounds, and, though not always successful, attempted to look like a real basketball player.
Does that sound like Riley and Jackson?
Butler has an awesome [read HOT] twitterati
A couple of them ladies ‘accosted’ me for my #BeatButler comments and told me off on my grammar. Grammar in 140 char world isnt really a priority for me, but they were kinda hot.
Hot, as in their profile photos are hot?
Or did they track you down by your Tweeted location and actually threatened physical violence if you don’t clean up your grammar, but you didn’t care because all you could do was stare at their boobies?
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