Syracuse, NY – The third-ranked Syracuse Orange will host the conference affair.
Not only is Marshall an impressive 5-1 so far, but both of its true road games have resulted in victory. Still, the most recent outing for the Thundering Herd did result in defeat, as they fell to Ohio University last Wednesday by a 70-68 final.
As for Syracuse, it has cruised to eight consecutive wins to open this 2011-12 campaign despite some well-publicized off-the-court distractions. The Orange were most recently in action on Friday when they bested a talented Florida squad, 72-68, their third straight win over a major conference team. Six of the eight victories to date have come at the Carrier Dome for the Big East Conference power.
Marshall beat Syracuse in the only previous meeting between these two programs way back during the 1947-48 campaign.
Four of the five starters for Marshall reached double figures in scoring in the two-point loss to Ohio last time out. DeAndre Kane led the way with 17 points and nine rebounds from his guard position, while Dennis Tinnon pitched in 12 points and 14 rebounds. Robert Goff contributed 11 points and Damier Pitts netted 10 points for the Thundering Herd, who earned a 21-7 edge in points from the foul line. Unfortunately, they permitted the Bobcats to shoot 50 percent from the floor in the affair. Through six games, Marshall is generating 69.7 ppg while holding opponents to 59.5 ppg on 40.7 percent field goal efficiency. Kane is scoring 15.8 ppg while Pitts adds 13.5 ppg to the mix. Both Tinnon and Goff are contributing 10.0 ppg to date.
Against Florida on Friday, Syracuse didn't play its best game at the offensive end of the court, as the squad shot a modest 40.6 percent from the floor, including 3-of-17 from three-point range. Fortunately for the Orange, they were able to earn a 17-7 advantage in points from the foul line and a 40-33 edge on the boards. Brandon Triche scored 20 points to pace the Orange, while Scoop Jardine netted 16 points while handing out seven assists. Kris Joseph pitched in 14 points for Syracuse, which is posting 81.8 ppg while limiting foes to 58.4 ppg on 38.2 percent field goal efficiency. Joseph continues to pace his club with an average of 14.6 ppg, and Triche adds 12.1 ppg. The third and final double-digit scorer on the roster is Dion Waiters, who provides 10.6 ppg in a reserve role. Jardine has handed out 36 assists to top the club in that category, while reserve C.J. Fair is tops on the boards with 6.6 rpg.
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