A quick take on Syracuse’s 84-59 win over Providence on Wednesday night:
WHAT HAPPENED: Syracuse went on a 27-2 run in the final 7:48 of the first half as the Orange took a 43-16 lead into halftime. James Southerland scored nine of his 14 first half points during that run. The result was never in doubt after that, as Syracuse cruised through the second half to a blowout win.
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ANALYSIS: Syracuse could do little wrong in this game. The Orange defense bottled up the Friars, as Providence shot just 34 percent from the field. All of the misses allowed SU to get out in transition, and the Orange took advantage with a flurry of easy baskets. They shot 56 percent for the game and never settled for outside jumpers. Even when they were, the Orange were hitting shots from distance, going 5-10 from downtown.
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HERO: Michael Carter-Williams finished with 15 points and 12 assists, the first time he has been in double-digits in assists since Jan. 2 against Rutgers. Southerland and CJ Fair led the way in scoring with 20 points each, and Fair added 10 rebounds. Brandon Triche, coming off a career-high 29 points against Seton Hall chipped in 14 points. With 7 assists, Vincent Council set the new record for assists in the Big East, surpassing former SU guard Sherman Douglas’ record of 426.
ZERO: If you can’t shoot, you can’t win, especially on the road. Providence shot just 3-18 from downtown with Bryce Cotton (2-9) and Josh Fortune (0-4) as the primary offenders.
WHAT’S NEXT: Syracuse will face Georgetown for the final time in the Big East regular season when they play at the Carrier Dome on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013 at 4 p.m. in front of a record 35,012. TV: CBS.
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