Spring Break
The Daily OrangeMBB | SU seeks revenge against Massachusetts
By Zach Schonbrun and Matt Gelb
Posted: 3/25/08, 1:00 AM EST Section: Sports
Of its 34 games so far this season, Syracuse's late-November matchup with the Atlantic 10's Massachusetts has to go down as the strangest.
After all, the prevailing image from the game was a fuming Eric Devendorf, seconds after being whistled for an intentional foul on UMass guard Ricky Harris, being held back by teammates during a profanity-laced feud with a student fan.
And in the background, of course, the final score, 107-100 in favor of the Minutemen, lit up like a marquee for a wild and crazy night at the Carrier Dome.
That was Nov. 28, and on Thursday, the SU players spoke with anticipation about a rematch with Massachusetts, who beat Akron on Saturday to earn a trip to the NIT's quarterfinal round. The game is tonight at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome, where a few months ago UMass set records in its run-and-gun offensive assault on the Orange.
"We owe them one," SU center Arinze Onuaku said. "They're probably going to come in here, and they're probably going to think they can beat us again. But we've got to play hard. We're a better team than we were at the beginning of the season."
The same could also be said for Massachusetts, which lost a heartbreaker in the A-10 conference tournament to Charlotte, a game that if won would likely have put it in the NCAA Tournament. The Minutemen have still won eight of their last nine games, and it still has proven it can score. UMass finished first in the conference in 3-pointers made and second in scoring, assists per game and field goals made.
Good news for Syracuse, though, as the Minutemen might be without 6-foot-8 role player Tony Gaffney, who injured his knee against Akron on Saturday. Gaffney scored four points and grabbed five rebounds in 21 minutes against the Orange in November.
Gaffney's absence will weaken Massachusetts' bench, and, for a team that loves to run, could become a factor down the stretch. The Minutemen used their defense to knock off Akron, 68-63, tying their second-lowest scoring total of the season.
After all, the prevailing image from the game was a fuming Eric Devendorf, seconds after being whistled for an intentional foul on UMass guard Ricky Harris, being held back by teammates during a profanity-laced feud with a student fan.
And in the background, of course, the final score, 107-100 in favor of the Minutemen, lit up like a marquee for a wild and crazy night at the Carrier Dome.
That was Nov. 28, and on Thursday, the SU players spoke with anticipation about a rematch with Massachusetts, who beat Akron on Saturday to earn a trip to the NIT's quarterfinal round. The game is tonight at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome, where a few months ago UMass set records in its run-and-gun offensive assault on the Orange.
"We owe them one," SU center Arinze Onuaku said. "They're probably going to come in here, and they're probably going to think they can beat us again. But we've got to play hard. We're a better team than we were at the beginning of the season."
The same could also be said for Massachusetts, which lost a heartbreaker in the A-10 conference tournament to Charlotte, a game that if won would likely have put it in the NCAA Tournament. The Minutemen have still won eight of their last nine games, and it still has proven it can score. UMass finished first in the conference in 3-pointers made and second in scoring, assists per game and field goals made.
Good news for Syracuse, though, as the Minutemen might be without 6-foot-8 role player Tony Gaffney, who injured his knee against Akron on Saturday. Gaffney scored four points and grabbed five rebounds in 21 minutes against the Orange in November.
Gaffney's absence will weaken Massachusetts' bench, and, for a team that loves to run, could become a factor down the stretch. The Minutemen used their defense to knock off Akron, 68-63, tying their second-lowest scoring total of the season.
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