SYRACUSE, N.Y. – After a week off No. 4 Syracuse returns to the court on Saturday, Dec. 15 against Canisius in the Carrier Dome. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. The Orange is one of 13 schools that remain undefeated this season (8-0), while Canisius is 6-1.
898 AND COUNTING Syracuse head coach
Jim Boeheim recorded his 898th victory when the Orange defeated Monmouth on Dec. 8. He is now just two wins away from becoming just the third Division I coach to record 900 career victories. Duke's Mike Krzyzewski is the all-time leader with 935 wins followed by Bob Knight's 902 victories.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ORANGE Syracuse extended its home winning streak to 28 games and won its 50th consecutive non-conference regular-season contest with a 108-56 victory against Monmouth on Saturday, Dec. 8 in the Carrier Dome. Seven players reached double figures in scoring to lead SU.
The Orange led by six, 27-21, at the 9:45 mark before going on an 11-0 scoring run to take a commanding 14-point advantage. SU's offense continued to click as it went into the locker room at halftime with a 57-28 lead.
Freshman
DaJuan Coleman and senior
Brandon Triche sparked Syracuse on a 13-0 scoring run that gave the Orange a 42-point lead at 70-28. It is SU's largest lead of the season. The Orange continued to pull away from Monmouth as it reached triple digits in scoring for the first time since March of 2011.
Triche led the offense with 18 points. Sophomore
Michael Carter-Williams posted his fourth consecutive double-double, recording 15 points and a career-high 16 assists, which rank third on Syracuse single-game record list. Junior
C.J. Fair also had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while redshirt freshman
Trevor Cooney scored a career-best 15 points.
SCOUTING THE GRIFFS Canisius enters Saturday's contest on a three-game winning streak, which has improved its record to 6-1. The Griffs only loss this season was an 82-75 setback at Stony Brook.
Harold Washington and Billy Baron pace the Canisius offense. Washington is the Griffs' leading scorer, averaging 18.6 points a game. Baron scores 17.7 points per contest and leads the squad with 42 assists. Chris Manhertz is Canisius' top rebounder (8.0 rpg.), while Jordan Heath has blocked a team-high 13 shots.
Jim Baron is in his first season at the helm of the Canisius program. Baron came to Canisius after serving as head coach at Rhode Island for 11 seasons. He guided the Rams to 184 victories and six post-season appearances. Previously, Baron was the head coach at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure, and St. Francis (Pa.).
THE SERIES Syracuse leads the all-time series with Canisius, 45-24. The Orange has won the last 20 meetings between the two schools. The Griffs' last win against SU was an 80-76 victory on Feb. 15, 1975.
UP NEXT… The Orange has just one day off before facing Detroit on Monday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.
