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Scoop Jardine had 15 points as the #2 Syracuse Orange (28-1, 15-1) pulled away from the USF Bulls (17-11, 10-5).
The USF Bulls rushed out to an 18-5 lead against the 2nd ranked Syracuse Orange, but failed to register a point in the last 8:54 in the half and trail SU 24-20 at halftime in the Carrier Dome. Scoop Jardine leads all scorers with 8 points, while C.J. Fair has 7 points and Dion Waters has 5 points for SU. Toarlyn Fitzpatrick has 6 points to lead the Bulls while Augustus Gilchrist and Anthony Collins has 4 points a piece for USF.
USF did a fantastic job working against the 2-3 zone of Syracuse at the beginning of the half, using the entire shot clock to find a high percentage shot and knocking it down. The USF defense was just as good, playing tight man to man defense and keeping the Orange to only one shot per possession. The Bulls have an impressive 21-11 rebounding advantage, including 6 offensive boards.
Momentum switched when Syracuse switched to a full court press, and the Bulls were clearly not ready for it. The Bulls committed 12 turnovers in the first half, and when they were able to break the press. USF's shot selection went out the window, leading to easy transition buckets for SU.
The Bulls have three players in foul trouble, with Anthony Collins, Jawanza Polan, and Toarlyn Fitzpatrick each saddled with two fouls. C.J. Fair is the only Syracuse player with 2 fouls.
During the South Florida Bulls' four-game winning streak, a run that's brought them to 17-10 and 10-4 in Big East play, the questions have started. Is this really an NCAA Tournament-worthy team? Where's their indelible, signature win on the resume? Tonight the Bulls get a chance to claim one as they visit the Carrier Dome and face off against the second-ranked Syracuse Orange.
Mind you, it will hardly be an easy task. Syracuse is 27-1, losing only at Notre Dame when center Fab Melo was sitting out due to academic concerns. They have a deep, balanced team that overwhelms most opponents -- Kris Joseph leads the team in scoring, C.J. Fair and Melo are tied for the lead in rebounding, Scoop Jardine averages five assists per game at the point, and Dion Waiters is instant offense off the bench. And of course, they have their famous/infamous 2-3 zone, with their size and wingspan on the front line, and Melo averaging three blocked shots per game.
For one of the rare times since joining the Big East, USF is not a team to be taken lightly. While this could have been a trap game in past years, you can bet Syracuse will take the Bulls seriously. Not only that, but the Orange are fresh off a scare on Sunday afternoon against lowly Rutgers. They won 74-64, but the Scarlet Knights hung tough at home for nearly the entire game until Jardine's back-breaking three-pointer with 90 seconds left finally gave Syracuse breathing room. Certainly Jim Boeheim will not stand for two subpar efforts in a row out of his team.
USF hit double-digit conference wins for the first time ever on Sunday night, a streak that reached all the way back to their first season in a basketball conference (the Sun Belt) in 1976-77. In a 56-47 win at Pittsburgh, Anthony Collins was in control with a career-high 22 points and six assists, and USF also got 11 points from Victor Rudd and nine rebounds from Ron Anderson Jr. A win tonight would give the Bulls their longest Big East winning streak ever and their highest-ranked victim in school history, plus put a huge win on their NCAA Tournament profile. But they're going to have to earn it.
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USF Vs. Syracuse: Bulls Fall To Orange 56-48
Scoop Jardine had 15 points to lead all scorers as the #2 Syracuse Orange (28-1, 15-1) defeated the USF Bulls (17-11, 10-5) 56-48 tonight at the Carrier Dome. C.J. Fair chipped in 13 points while Kris Joseph added 12 points for the Orange. Freshman PG Anthony Collins had 12 points and 10 assists to lead the Bulls while Toarlyn Fitzpatrick had 11 points and 7 rebounds.
The Bulls raced out to an 20-7 lead with 8:52 to go in the first half, but the Orange went into a full court press, and the Bulls could not figure it out, turning the ball over 12 times in the first half. Syracuse went on a 26-0 run over the next 11 minutes to take a 33-20 lead with 17:32 left in the game.
The Bulls slowly but surely whittled down the lead to 3 points with 7:14 to go after a Toarlyn Fitzpatrick layup, but the sequence of the game happened 2 and a half minutes later. Augustus Gilchrist missed a three pointer with 4:54 remaining and fouled Scoop Jardine for a three-point play on the other end to make its a six point game. The Bulls were unable to make get it any closer, and the Orange slowly pulled away for the win.
The Bulls will next take on the Cincinnati Bearcats this Sunday at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Tipoff is schedule for 12:00 PM.
Feb 22 9:50p by Ken DeCelles