University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Syracuse
Thabeet, No. 1 Connecticut Defense Shuts Down Orange, 63-49
3/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 11, 2009
Box Score | Box Score 
| Post Game Quotes
STORRS, Conn. - Senior guard A.J. Price (Amityville, N.Y.) scored 17 points and top-ranked Connecticut used a stifling defense to defeat 23rd-ranked Syracuse, 63-49, in a BIG EAST Conference men's basketball victory Wednesday evening before a sellout crowd of 10,167 at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion.
The Huskies, who have now won 12 straight games, are 23-1 on the season, 11-1 in the conference. The Orange slip to 18-7, 6-6 in league play.
The Huskies were forced to play most of the game without second-leading scorer Jerome Dyson (Potomac, Md.), who injured his knee and was forced to leave the contest just 4:16 into the game. His status will be re-evaluated on Thursday.
The Huskies struggled most of the contest against the Syracuse zone defense, but behind the defensive play of Hasheem Thabeet (Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania), they shut down the Orange when the game was on the line. Syracuse entered the contest averaging over 78 points per game and were held to just 49, 29 below its season average. In addition, the Orange's point total was their lowest of the season by eight points. Syracuse shot just 32 percent for the game and scored just two points in the game's last 7:19. Thabeet finished with 16 rebounds and seven blocked shots while scoring eight points. For good measure, Thabeet matched his career-high with three assists.
Price was the offensive star for the Huskies, making four three-pointers on his way to his game-high 17 points. Senior power forward Jeff Adrien (Brookline, Mass.) scored 12 points and added five rebounds.
Senior guard Craig Austrie (Stamford, Conn.) chipped in with 10 points and three assists off of the bench, including two big three-pointers two minutes apart in the second half as the Huskies broke open a 41-37 game with a 15-3 run. Freshman point guard Kemba Walker (Bronx, N.Y.) gave the Huskies a big lift off the bench as well, scoring seven points and grabbing six rebounds.
The contest was a matchup of the second and third-leading active coaches in Division I wins. Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun now has 797 wins, while Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim has 789 victories. Next up on the all-time list for Calhoun is Eddie Sutton, who stands sixth on the all-time list with 804 successes.
The Huskies were able to overcome a season-high 20 turnovers, including 14 before halftime. Connecticut did manage to outrebound the Orange, 42-34, extending their streak of not being outrebounded in 31 straight regular season contests.
Jonny Flynn led the Orange with 16 points, while Eric Devendorf added 12 points.
The Huskies will take to the road for their next contest venturing to Newark, N.J. to play Seton Hall on Saturday, February 14 at the Prudential Center. Tip-off is set for 12 noon and the game will be televised locally by MyTV9 and SNY.
