SYRACUSE GETS NEEDED WIN OVER MOUNTAINEERS

February 5, 2009



Even with their injured players not 100%, Syracuse put things together and cruised past West Virginia, 74-61, at the Dome last night in Big East basketball conference action.

The Orange entered the contest losers of four of their last five and it looks as though the Funk is Over as a Rested SU Dominates (Watertown Daily Times) the Mountaineers.

Still showing the lingering affects of injuries, Arinze Onuaku played just 18 minutes, contributing a quiet four points and six rebounds and Andy Rautins was scoreless, missing all four three's he attempted in his 21 minutes of action.

On this night, the Mountaineers Had No Answer for Jonny Flynn (Post-Standard) as the sophomore point scored 22 points and dominated WVU frosh Darryl Bryant, who scored just 7 points but did not register an assist nor grab a rebound in the game as WVU could not solve the Orange zone, settling for three's and connecting on just seven of 27 attempts as the Orange Frustrate the Mountaineers (Charleston Gazette), who have now lost three of four, all to ranked opponents, and are 4-5 in the Big East.

Eric Devendorf matched Flynn with a team-high 22 points and Paul Harris Rebounds from Subpar Performances (Post-Standard) adding 14 points and 13 rebounds to the cause. With Onuaku still limited, SU got a lift as the Old Kristof Ongenaet Re-Appears (Post-Standard) and provides SU with six points, seven rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes, earning a healthy ovation from the Dome crowd.

The Orange are now 6-4 in the conference and pick up some much needed confidence heading into a pair of road games at Villanova this weekend followed by a trip to play at No. 1Connecticut.