Syracuse is having a final go-around the Big East Tournament and all their past rivals are lining up for final matchups, including Pittsburgh as well as Georgetown, who the Orange will face for the final time in the tournament on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
The team is coming off of a 75-63 win over Seton Hall on Wednesday to start the tournament and a tough 62-59 victory over Pitt on Thursday that saw the Orange rally multiple times. The Hoyas will be motivated entering the game and they will have the upper hand, as the last time the two teams met, Georgetown completely shut down Syracuse with a 61-39 win on Saturday.
The Orange has lost twice by double digits this season to the Hoyas and will need to play much better to have a chance on Friday, as they hope to advance to the final of the tournament. Syracuse will be moving to the ACC next season and it will be the last time in a storied rivalry that the two teams will play.
There is a lot of history between the two teams and it brought out some bug names, including Patrick Ewing and Derrick Coleman. The Hoyas easily advanced 62-43 against Cincinnati and the Orange likely will put up a better fight than they did last week.
"Syracuse, I mean, it will be a great game," Georgetown star Otto Porter Jr. said. "I'm pretty sure they will want a rematch against us. I mean, it will be a terrific game to play against them."
Brandon Triche will be a focal point for the Orange and Georgetown will likely try to lock him down, as he has been the most consistent scorer for Syracuse. Triche was with the team in 2010 when Syracuse won each game in the regular-season, but lost to the Hoyas at MSG.
"I want it a lot," Triche said. "Them beating us twice, not too many teams have done that. I remember beating them twice, and the third time they beat us. That was in the Big East tournament. We're trying to pretty much return the favor."
Syracuse shot just 31 percent when the two teams played on Saturday and hit only five 3-pointers in the two games this season. Syracuse has been much better since those games, with James Southerland scoring 20 points twice in the tournament and making 12 of his 15 long-range shots. The team has made 21 from that range since playing against the Hoyas and will likely emply that again on Friday.
"We just didn't play well in either game," coach Jim Boeheim said. "They're too good. If you don't play well, they're going to beat you. Should be a great game."
Georgetown is 7-6 against the Orange in the tournament and the last time the two played the Hoyas won 91-84 in the 2012 quarterfinals. The winner will face the victor of Louisville and Notre Dame, which will be played after the Hoyas-Orange contest.
Syracuse ranked 64th in scoring with over 70 points per game and are 22nd in rebounding and 57th in assists in the nation. The team has won three of its last four games, while the Hoyas have won 13 of 14 and are ranked 238th in scoring, as they focus on defense. The team is making over 45 percent of its shot from the field and is ranked 50th in assists.
Prediction: Syracuse 64, Georgetown 59. The Orange will play better than they did last Saturday and the determination of the team to make it to the finals in their last Big East Tournament will be enough to push them forward. If Triche is held back by the Hoyas things will be tough, but the team will play much better than the two losses to Georgetown earlier this season.
