Red Storm  66    Orange  85

St. John's (15-13) at (1) Syracuse (27-2)

Sports Network | March 2, 2010

GAME NOTES: The Syracuse Orange are now the top-ranked team in the nation and they have clinched a share of the Big East regular season title. The St. John's Red Storm are next up for coach Jim Boeheim's squad as the two teams square off tonight at the Carrier Dome.

Losses in back-to-back games have dropped the Red Storm to 5-11 in Big East action, overshadowing a decent 15-13 overall record. Both losses during the current slide have come at home, including Saturday's 73-62 setback against Pittsburgh. Now St. John's must hit the road where it is 3-6 thus far.

As for Syracuse, it turned what was expected to be a close contest with Villanova into a rout on Saturday night, beating the Wildcats in a 95-77 final. The Orange have earned the No. 1 ranking in-season for the first time in 20 years, and it is hard to argue considering the team's 27-2 overall record and 14-2 mark against league opponents. They are currently riding a three-game overall win streak and can clinch the conference's outright title with a win tonight.

Syracuse owns a 45-37 series advantage over St. John's.

DJ Kennedy is the leading scorer for St. John's this season, as he is netting 14.6 ppg to go along with 81 assists and 6.2 rpg, two other team highs. Dwight Hardy, who has come off the bench in 26 of the club's 28 outings, is the only other double-digit scorer on the roster with his 10.8 ppg. The Red Storm are generating 66.6 ppg while allowing 65.1 ppg to opponents. In the 11-point loss to Pittsburgh, Hardy scored 15 points in a reserve role to pace his squad, and Kennedy added 12 points. As for Paris Horne, he tallied 11 points for the Red Storm, who shot 37.5 percent from the field, including a 2-of-15 effort from three-point range. They struggled at the defensive end, permitting the Panthers to shoot 51.1 percent.

A tremendously balanced offensive team, Syracuse boasts five double-digit scorers, and the club is generating 81.7 ppg on 51.8 percent shooting from the floor. Wes Johnson paces the Orange with 15.7 ppg and 8.7 rpg, while Andy Rautins provides 11.8 ppg to go along with team-high totals of 138 assists and 61 steals. Kris Joseph (11.3 ppg), Rick Jackson (10.3 ppg) and Arinze Onuaku (10.3 ppg) are all solid contributors for a squad that is limiting opponents to 65.7 ppg. Against Villanova, six Syracuse players scored in double figures, including the five that were just mentioned. Jackson led the charge with 19 points, and Onuaku tallied 17 points and nine rebounds. The Orange finished with a 49-40 rebounding advantage and 21 assists against only 10 turnovers. A 24-13 edge in points from the foul line was also key.

Syracuse will clinch the Big East crown tonight in front of a proud home crowd. The Orange are clearly a major threat to win the national title, as they seemingly have no weaknesses.

GAME NOTES: The Syracuse Orange are now the top-ranked team in the nation and they have clinched a share of the Big East regular season title. The St. John's Red Storm are next up for coach Jim Boeheim's squad as the two teams square off tonight at the Carrier Dome.

FACTS & STATS: Site: Carrier Dome (33,633) -- Syracuse, New York. Television: SNY, Time Warner. Home Record: St. John's 10-7, Syracuse 16-2. Away Record: St. John's 3-6, Syracuse 8-0. Neutral Record: St. John's 2-0, Syracuse 3-0. Conference Record: St. John's 5-11, Syracuse 14-2. Series Record: Syracuse leads, 45-37.

Syracuse 84, St. John's 66