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The Daily OrangeMBB | SURVIVAL: Greene's career-high prevents NIT shocker
By John Clayton
Posted: 3/19/08, 2:01 AM EST Section: Sports
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After all, the last thing this Orange season needed was a little more embarrassment.
"You never want to lose a game," Greene said before Monday's practice. "Especially - no offense to Robert Morris - but especially to Robert Morris."
Had it not been for a stellar performance from Greene, that humiliation could have been all too real.
Greene scored a career-high 27 points as top-seeded Syracuse managed to hold off an undersized, scrappy Robert Morris Tuesday in front of a sparse crowd of 10,536 at the Carrier Dome. The Colonials were down by as little as two with a minute remaining before the Orange made enough free throws down the stretch for the win.
SU will now host fifth-seeded Maryland Thursday at 7 p.m. The Terrapins defeated Minnesota Tuesday night, 68-58.
The win gave SU head coach Jim Boeheim his 30th 20-win season, matching the Division I record owned by former North Carolina head coach Dean Smith.
SU held on despite freshman point guard Jonny Flynn sitting out the entire second half after he aggravated a lower back injury suffered last Wednesday. Flynn had been unable to practice fully on Monday but started the game.
The narrow victory came mostly thanks to Greene, who regained the silky shooting touch that had eluded him for much of the Big East season.
"I was just more relaxed," Greene said after Tuesday's game as he lounged on a couch in the locker room and took in the remainder of the Maryland-Minnesota game.
"I got to go home last weekend and shoot around in the gym with a couple of high school teammates, a couple of AAU teammates. Just got back into shooting. I just went out there and had fun."
Greene showcased all the facets of the offensive game that have led many to believe he could enter the NBA Draft after one college season. The 6-foot-11 freshman shot 10-for-19 from the field and 6-for-12 from 3. Paul Harris added a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Most of this without Flynn, who played 14 first-half minutes before he re-aggravated the injury. He finished with just two points on 1-of-6 shooting and three assists.
Greene looked comfortable against a Robert Morris team that didn't present nearly the challenge the forward had seen in his last 19 games against Big East competition.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Marc LeVne
posted 3/19/08 @ 9:58 AM EST
Losing this game would have been a much greater prize than allowing the win to add further incentive to Donte Greene to turn Pro this year.
Before he gets too far ahead of himself, he needs to take something from his own public words: "You never want to lose a game, especially - no offense to Robert Morris - but especially to Robert Morris. (Continued…)
g33k
posted 3/19/08 @ 11:34 AM EST
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Well spoken Marc, well spoken
Pat Brennan
posted 3/19/08 @ 5:01 PM EST
I second that emotion. Harris & Flynn can also do with another season in Onandoga County.
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