SYRACUSE, N.Y. - No. 3/3 Syracuse goes for its ninth consecutive victory when its hosts Marshall on Tuesday, Dec. 6. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.
The Orange has started the season with an 8-0 record for the fourth consecutive season. The Herd (5-1) won its first five games of the season, including a 73-69 overtime victory at Cincinnati, before losing to Ohio, 70-68, in its last game.
DOME SWEET DOME
Syracuse is 34-1 at home against non-conference opponents, dating back to the 2008-09 season. The only blemish was a 72-69 setback against Cleveland State in 2008-09. Since the facility opened in September 1980, the Orange has an all-time record of 461-92 in the Loud House.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ORANGE
Senior Scoop Jardine scored 16 points and led Syracuse to a 72-68 against No. 10.9 Florida in the BIG EAST/SEC Challenge in the Carrier Dome on Friday, Dec. 2. The game was played in front of a crowd of 24,459 fans, which is the largest on-campus crowd in the nation this season.
Neither team could pull away in the first half as it featured seven ties and five lead changes. Brandon Triche's jumper from the free throw line gave SU its first lead of the game at 18-16. The Orange maintained the lead for the remainder of the half and led, 31-27, at halftime.
Syracuse opened the second half with an 8-3 scoring run to take its largest lead of the game at 39-30. SU missed its next nine shots allowing the Gators to eventually tie the score at 41-41. Florida took the lead, but a three-pointer by Triche tied the score at 49-49, and then a steal on an inbounds pass by Jardine led to a dunk by Kris Joseph to put SU up 51-49.
Down the stretch, Jardine scored eight of the team's nine points to help Syracuse seal the victory. Jardine became the 56th player in school history to score 1,000 points.
Triche led the Orange with 20 points, while Joseph finished with 14. C.J. Fair pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds, helping SU to a 40-33 advantage over the Gators on the boards.
SCOUTING THE HERD
Prior to the 2011-12 season, Marshall was selected to finish second in Conference USA behind preseason favorite Memphis. The Thundering Herd enters Tuesday's match-up with a 5-1 record this season, including a road win at Cincinnati.
Four Marshall student-athletes average double-digits in scoring, with former C-USA Freshman of the Year DeAndre Kane leading the offensive charge with 15.8 points per game. Dennis Tinnon is the Herd's leading rebounder, grabbing 9.7 boards per game, while Damier Pitts ranks second in Conference USA with 4.7 assists per game.
Head Coach Tom Herrion is in his second year at the helm in Huntington. The Herd recorded a 22-12 record last season, including a 9-7 record in conference play.
**Courtesy SU Athletics**
