WASHINGTON, D.C. – Veteran observers of the Syracuse-Georgetown rivalry say they always expect a close game, regardless of any talent discrepancies. Fans of this year’s Syracuse team, however, might have doubted such a suggestion before Saturday’s game with the Hoyas.

Through their first 22 games this season, the Orangemen had charted a graph of extremes – big wins, big losses, hardly any close games. Prior to the weekend, SU had played in only one Big East game decided by fewer than five points (Rutgers, on Feb. 10).

‘We haven’t played any close games,’ Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. ‘We’ve either blown people out or we’ve gotten blown out. The only close games we’ve had we’ve won. If we’re in it, I think we can make the plays we have to make.

‘When you look at the year, St. John’s, Manhattan and Rhode Island were close games; then Rutgers and this one. Those were our close games, and that’s it. Every other game has been a blowout.’

Though Syracuse narrowly defeated the Hoyas three times last year, Georgetown big man Mike Sweetney gave SU’s defense fits. Now, Sweetney is gone, having departed for the NBA. In his wake, he’s left one of the weakest Georgetown teams in recent memory. The Hoyas are now 4-8 in league play – good for 12th place in the 14-team conference.

Three days before the Syracuse game, the Hoyas suffered the opprobrium of losing to St. John’s, a team previously winless in the Big East.

‘Clearly, we recovered from that (St. John’s) game,’ Georgetown coach Craig Esherick said. ‘The effort was there, and so I was proud of that. We definitely missed some shots, and that’s been a common refrain of mine the entire season.’

Of funks and dunks

Were any of the half-dozen NBA scouts at the MCI Center to buck protocol and display the shot charts they keep on each player, a pictograph of Hakim Warrick’s baskets would resemble a tight afro of X’s around the basket. Syracuse’s junior forward attempted 14 shots against Georgetown, but his seven successful field goals included six dunks and one lay-up. In other words, his trademark turnaround jumper took a day off.

Warrick, though, created a few highlights. With 11 minutes left in the game, Louie McCroskey grabbed a loose ball at Georgetown’s offensive end and lobbed a pass ahead to Warrick, who took off from just inside the free-throw line and one-armed a rim-rattler. The points gave Syracuse its first lead in almost 30 minutes of game action.

‘It was tough on our part going down and not making the shots,’ Warrick said. ‘But we made them when they count.’

Centers of attention

Both Craig Forth and Jeremy McNeil have shown flashes of scoring ability this month. But that didn’t stop Boeheim from deriding his big men on a day when they combined for four points, three turnovers and just six rebounds.

‘Our big guys have got to get better,’ Boeheim said. ‘If we’re going to do anything the rest of the year, our big guys have to play better. They’re coming off two games in a row where they were non-factors.’

Last week vs. Notre Dame, McNeil managed six points, but Forth failed to score. The game against the Irish, though, came after three consecutive games in which one of the centers had scored 10 or more.

This and that

Georgetown wore throwback uniforms – gray with block lettering – similar to those donned during the 1980s. All similarities to that era were forgotten, though, once the team started playing. … Because of the large Syracuse contingent at the MCI Center, the Hoyas were booed loudly during pregame introductions. ‘I think we’re one of the few teams that has fans everywhere we go,’ said McCroskey, who played in his seventh collegiate road game. … SU guard Billy Edelin missed his sixth game in the past seven, and did not travel with the team. He is absent because of personal reasons. … Syracuse registered 12 blocks, five coming from Warrick. … Gerry McNamara was the lone player on either team to play for all 40 minutes. Even so, only seven different Orangemen took the court – nobody on SU’s bench aside from McNeil and McCroskey stripped off their warm-ups… Former SU center and current Washington Wizard Etan Thomas chatted with players in the SU locker room after the game. … Construction-related delays on DC’s Metro subway system accounted, in part, for a late-arriving crowd. Thankfully, despite a half-hour standstill at the Cleveland Park stop, two student journalists arrived to the game on time.

Published on February 22, 2004 at 12:00 pm