Samardo Samuels scored all eight of his points during a late surge and Jerry Smith sank a pair of clutch free throws with 17.8 seconds left as Louisville rallied past Syracuse 66-60 on Sunday.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse waited too long to turn up the intensity against Louisville, and the Orange [...]]]> Associated Press

Samardo Samuels scored all eight of his points during a late surge and Jerry Smith sank a pair of clutch free throws with 17.8 seconds left as Louisville rallied past Syracuse 66-60 on Sunday.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse waited too long to turn up the intensity against Louisville, and the Orange (No. 3 ESPN/USA Today, No. 2 AP) paid for the lapse.

Samardo Samuels scored all eight of his points during a late surge and Jerry Smith sank a pair of clutch free throws with 17.8 seconds left as Louisville rallied past Syracuse 66-60 on Sunday.

The Cardinals (16-9, 7-5 Big East), who trailed by 11 in the first half, hung on to win despite missing 5 of 7 free throws in the final 1:41, including a pair by Smith just 2 seconds after the two he converted.

“We did a very good job of moving the basketball, taking smart shots, and playing good defense down the stretch,” Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. “I thought our guys really played a very intelligent game, didn’t get down when they missed their free throws and let it affect their defense.”

It was the fifth straight win over the Orange for Louisville, which was 0-4 against ranked teams entering the game and in desperate need of a signature victory to enhance its NCAA tournament chances.

A glance at the box score showed one big reason the Orange’s 11-game winning streak came to an end: Leading scorer Wes Johnson, nursing a bruised thumb on his right (shooting) hand, was 5 of 20 from the floor and had a pair of shots blocked in the final minute.

“I’m just missing shots,” said Johnson, who took a hard fall in a win over Providence two weeks ago. “It ain’t anything mentally or physically. My body is still not 100 percent, but I wouldn’t really blame it on that. The shots that I did take, I really just missed them.”

Samuels, who was assessed two early fouls, scored his first points of the game on a pair of free throws with 7:46 left and followed with a hook off the glass to tie the game at 50. Mike Marra’s 3 from the left corner gave the Cardinals a three-point edge and, after a 15-foot jumper by Johnson, Samuels made a twisting layup through traffic to put Louisville up 55-52 with 5:14 left.

Samuels’ dunk off an inbounds pass gave the Cardinals their biggest lead at 59-52 with 3:04 to go.

Six straight free throws by the Orange closed the gap to 62-58 with 64 seconds remaining, but Syracuse was unable to score again after Kris Joseph’s slam dunk with 31.9 seconds left made it a two-point game.

Joseph was then called for an intentional foul on Smith, who sank both free throws, his only points of the game, for a four-point lead.

Andy Rautins and Scoop Jardine missed 3-pointers in the final seconds and Rakeem Buckles’ slam at the buzzer capped the big win for Louisville, disappointing the Carrier Dome crowd of 31,053, the largest of the season.

Both of Syracuse’s losses — the first was to Pittsburgh in early January — have come at home.

“I just thought we weren’t aggressive enough in attacking,” said Rautins, who finished with 12 points for the Orange. “They shadowed me wherever I went. What’s frustrating is losing here. We’re not accustomed to that.”

Edgar Sosa and Marra each had 12 points to lead Louisville. Jared Swopshire had 10 points.

Johnson finished with 14 points, Arinze Onuaku had 12, and Joseph 10 for the Orange.

Sosa’s 3-pointer from the left wing with 13:24 left broke the third tie of the second half and gave Louisville a 42-39 lead.

After three turnovers by the Orange and two more by the Cardinals, Rautins hit consecutive 3s in transition in a 37-second span to put Syracuse back on top midway through the half.

But that free-flowing feeling was fleeting. Syracuse never got its high-powered transition game untracked against the Louisville defense, which limited the Orange to 41.4 percent shooting and just 12 fast-break points.

Syracuse entered the game leading the nation in field-goal percentage at 52.7 and ranked fourth in steals with 10.6 per game. The Orange only managed four steals against the Cardinals, who were patient, deliberate and strong under the glass when the game was on the line.

Louisville finished with 22 second-chance points to just 12 for Syracuse.

“We lost the game on the offensive end,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. “We got some good opportunities and we got some good shots. We just didn’t convert. I thought we got a little bit frustrated with their defense. They played tremendous match-up. I just didn’t think we were aggressive until the end.”

In a 19-point loss on Thursday night at St. John’s, the Cardinals fell behind 12-0 and didn’t score in the game’s first 6:46. Against the Orange, Louisville went scoreless over the first 3:47 before Swopshire scored in the lane.

Louisville continued its early game woes, making only one of its first nine shots, and fell behind 22-11 on Jardine’s fastbreak layup with 8:14 left.

But Preston Knowles and Marra each hit 3s to key a 12-3 run in the final six minutes as the Cardinals stepped up their press and moved within 29-28 at halftime despite the awful start and no points from leading scorer Samuels.

Syracuse guard Andy Rautins (1) drives past Cincinnati guard Lance Stephenson (33) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010, in Cincinnati. Rautins led Syracuse to a 71-54 win with 20 points.

CINCINNATI — Kris Joseph hit a pair of 3s that sparked Syracuse’s decisive second-half run [...]]]> Associated Press

Syracuse guard Andy Rautins (1) drives past Cincinnati guard Lance Stephenson (33) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010, in Cincinnati. Rautins led Syracuse to a 71-54 win with 20 points.

CINCINNATI — Kris Joseph hit a pair of 3s that sparked Syracuse’s decisive second-half run Sunday, and the Orange kept the best start in school history going with a 71-54 victory over Cincinnati, their 10th in a row.

Syracuse (23-1, 10-1 Big East) closed the game with a 28-5 run that featured Joseph’s two 3-pointers and a lot of good defense. Andy Rautins led the Orange with 20 points.

The Bearcats (14-9, 5-6) fell apart down the stretch, getting only one field goal and three free throws after pulling ahead 49-43 with 12:26 to go. Ibrahima Thomas led Cincinnati with a season-high 13 points.

Wes Johnson, who fell hard in Syracuse’s win over Providence on Tuesday, was back in the starting lineup but played only 23 minutes. The forward took only three shots and had five points.

Johnson, a forward who averages a team-high 16.7 points, played only three minutes in the second half against Providence on Tuesday after he was fouled while going for a lob pass and hit the court hard. He was sore and missed practice during the week.

Johnson is a key component in an offense that is scoring 82.5 points a game, second-best in the league. But he was on the bench down the stretch on Sunday, letting his teammates take over.

Cincinnati was coming off a lackluster 85-68 loss at Notre Dame that severely dented its hopes of making the NCAA tournament. The loss left the Bearcats tied with two other teams for eighth place in the Big East.

Thomas, who hasn’t done much in the last half-dozen games, got Cincinnati off to an encouraging start. He scored seven points – more than he had in any of the last six games – during an opening 11-2 run. The Bearcats patiently passed around the perimeter of the Orange zone, then got the ball inside to draw a foul or get a layup.

It didn’t take long for Syracuse to figure it out.

Cincinnati went more than six minutes without scoring, helping the Orange pull off an 11-0 run that featured points by five players. The Bearcats passed the ball around the perimeter without finding an opening, drawing boos from the crowd. They had a shot clock violation, a blocked shot, a missed 25-footer and another rushed miss on consecutive possessions.

The lead went back and forth for the rest of the half, which ended with Syracuse up 32-30. Both teams rank near the bottom of the league in free throw shooting and had a rough time in the half – Cincinnati was 5 of 11, Syracuse 3 of 9.

Syracuse got the ball inside and went on a 6-0 run early in the second half for its biggest lead to that point, 38-32. After a timeout, Cincinnati pulled off its best offensive spurt, working the ball around for open shots. Cashmere Wright’s open 3 concluded a 15-2 run that put the Bearcats up 49-43 and got the crowd of 11,045 revved.

That’s when the Orange took over, holding the Bearcats to one field goal the rest of the way.

(4) Syracuse at Cincinnati, 2:00 PM ET, February 7, 2010 Fifth Third Arena, Cincinnati, OH

Little has gone wrong for Syracuse during the best start in school history, and even an injury to the team’s best player doesn’t look like it will provide a major obstacle.

Wes Johnson appears set [...]]]> STATS LLC

(4) Syracuse at Cincinnati, 2:00 PM ET, February 7, 2010 Fifth Third Arena, Cincinnati, OH

Little has gone wrong for Syracuse during the best start in school history, and even an injury to the team’s best player doesn’t look like it will provide a major obstacle.

Wes Johnson appears set to suit up for the third-ranked Orange as they travel to Cincinnati on Sunday looking for a 10th straight win and sole possession of first place in the Big East.

Johnson’s status was initially in doubt Tuesday night, when he missed most of the second half of a 85-68 victory over Providence after a hard foul by the Friars’ Brian McKenzie sent him crashing to the ground.

Syracuse’s leader in scoring (16.7 points per game) and rebounding (9.0), Johnson missed practice time this week but said he’s been making progress.

“I feel a lot better than I did after the fall,” Johnson said Friday. “It’s still a little sore, but I’m feeling a lot better.

“I’m back moving around. My legs are coming back,” the junior forward added. “Before, I couldn’t really walk normal, but the pain is really going away. I’ll be back by Sunday.”

Coach Jim Boeheim said he expects his team “will be back to full strength” by Sunday, and Johnson’s teammates didn’t seem especially concerned about the transfer from Iowa State, who is projected among the top picks in this summer’s NBA draft.

“We’re all assuming that Wes is going to play,” senior guard Andy Rautins said. “We’re not really even looking to fill his spot, but we’re capable of doing that.”

The Orange (22-1, 9-1) looked like they barely needed Johnson on Tuesday, outscoring Providence 48-34 after halftime to extend their winning streak to nine.

Reserve Kris Joseph stepped up with a career-high 23 points while center Arinze Onuaku added a season-high 20, with the two combining to shoot 19 of 23 from the field.

“The main thing for me was doing what I do, which is being aggressive off the bench when the team needs a spark,” said Joseph, averaging 16.8 points in the last four games. “That’s what I’ve been doing all year. That’s something I don’t want to stop doing.”

His contributions have helped Syracuse win 22 of its first 23 for the first time in school history and go 8-0 away from home, including five true road games.

The Orange have a chance to become the first Big East team to 10 wins in conference play. Villanova had been undefeated in the league before Saturday’s 103-90 loss at Georgetown, which dropped the Wildcats into a tie with Syracuse.

Cincinnati (14-8, 5-5) has been disappointing after it was ranked as high as 19th during the non-conference season. The Bearcats fell to .500 in Big East play with an ugly 83-65 loss at Notre Dame on Thursday night.

Bearcats freshman Cashmere Wright was held to four points on 1-of-9 shooting, one game after he scored a career-high 24. Cincinnati was held to 38.2 percent from the field and forced fewer than 10 turnovers for the fourth time in five games.

The Bearcats hope a return home will help. They are 11-1 at Fifth Third Arena, where Syracuse lost 74-66 during its most recent visit Jan. 9, 2008.

The Orange cruised to a 87-63 home win over Cincinnati on March 1, improving to 4-2 in the series since the Bearcats joined the Big East.

NEW YORK — The UC Bearcats jumped to No. 5 in the latest Bowl Championship Series standings released Sunday.

Cincinnati, ranked No. 4 in the AP Top 25, beat Syracuse 28-7 Saturday. The Bearcats were No. 8 in the previous week’s BCS standings.

Texas took a small step forward in the BCS standings, and the [...]]]> The Associated Press

NEW YORK — The UC Bearcats jumped to No. 5 in the latest Bowl Championship Series standings released Sunday.

Cincinnati, ranked No. 4 in the AP Top 25, beat Syracuse 28-7 Saturday. The Bearcats were No. 8 in the previous week’s BCS standings.

Texas took a small step forward in the BCS standings, and the remaining unbeaten teams held down the first seven spots.

The Longhorns (.9227) jumped from third to second place, ahead of Alabama (.9166) and behind Florida (.9918). It’s a cosmetic move. Texas was already in control of its destiny in the BCS championship race.

The Crimson Tide and Gators, if they both remain undefeated, will have to play each other in the Southeastern Conference title game.

Behind the top three were Iowa (.8407), Cincinnati (.8033), TCU (.8008) and Boise State (.7863), all unbeaten and hoping for the Gators, Crimson Tide or Longhorns to slip up.

Alabama faces a stiff test Saturday when LSU travels to Tuscaloosa.

Iowa is second in the computers, though only seventh in the Harris poll and sixth in the coaches’ poll.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Zach Collaros makes a practice of practicing his quarterback scrambles in practice. You know what they say about practice.

Collaros threw four touchdown passes, three off broken plays, the Cincinnati defense forced two critical turnovers and the Bearcats (No. 8 BCS, No. 5 AP) remained perfect with a 28-7 victory over Syracuse [...]]]> Associated Press

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Zach Collaros makes a practice of practicing his quarterback scrambles in practice. You know what they say about practice.

Collaros threw four touchdown passes, three off broken plays, the Cincinnati defense forced two critical turnovers and the Bearcats (No. 8 BCS, No. 5 AP) remained perfect with a 28-7 victory over Syracuse on Saturday.

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“We do a scrambling drill every day,” Collaros said after just his second start in place of injured quarterback Tony Pike. “We have good chemistry with the receivers.

“All I know is I like to improvise a little bit.”

To the dismay of the Orange (3-5, 0-3 Big East), who registered eight tackles for loss but only one sack.

“It’s hard to run around and get someone open to make a big play,” first-year Syracuse coach Doug Marrone said. “You have to have great vision. You have to keep the play going. We didn’t finish.”

Collaros was 22 of 28 for 295 yards and no turnovers. Always a threat to run, he managed just 22 yards on nine carries, preferring to use his strong right arm to inflict the damage.

Collaros is a remarkable 47 of 63 (75 percent) for 749 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception this season and has rushed for 213 yards and two more scores.

“He’s definitely a kid that understands what’s going on out there,” Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly said.

Collaros hit Armon Binns on scoring passes of 81 and 13 yards off scrambles, Kazeem Alli for 16 yards off a botched field goal, and Adrien Robinson for 4 yards as Cincinnati (8-0, 4-0 Big East) won its 14th straight regular-season game to remain in contention for the BCS national championship.

“He’s not a drop-your-eyes scrambler,” Kelly said. “He’s going to keep his eyes downfield. Syracuse is pretty good up front. There were too many times where he was flushed out of the pocket. We would have liked to have managed the game a little bit better from the pocket, but Zach is really good outside on the perimeter.

“We got our job done, and we want to get the heck out of here.”

Cincinnati is one win off the best start in school history — the 1951 team won nine straight to begin the season. Its mistake-free offense — the Bearcats did not have a turnover and remain the only team in the nation not to lose a fumble this season — and opportunistic defense made the difference.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Cincinnati linebacker J.K. Schaffer said. “We’re right where we want to be.”

The turnovers cost the Orange dearly. Drew Frey intercepted Greg Paulus’s pass in the back of the end zone late in the second quarter and defensive tackle Derek Wolfe recovered a fumble on a first-and-goal carry from the Cincinnati 7 by Delone Carter late in the third.

“They were driving on us,” Frey said. “We definitely needed some type of spark. When they get down in the red zone, our defense usually steps up, and we were fortunate enough to make a play. I read the quarterback’s eyes, and it said No. 1.”

That would be standout Syracuse wideout Mike Williams, who along with Cincinnati star Mardy Gilyard were hardly noticed. Gilyard finished with six catches for 62 yards, while Williams caught four passes for 34 yards in his return from a one-game suspension. They entered the game 1-2 in the Big East in receiving, Williams with 118.7 yards per game and Gilyard with 96.3.

“He’s a leaper. He makes big plays,” Frey said. “One of the focal points of the game was to stop No. 1 in particular. For the most part, I think we did that. Communication was the main point, knowing where he was on the field at all times.”

Collaros had three TD passes and only two incompletions in his first college start a week ago, a 41-10 victory over Louisville, and was able to scramble away from trouble and find wide open receivers most of the afternoon against the Orange.

Even when his receivers were covered, it didn’t matter. Facing a second-and-9 and leading 14-7 early in the third quarter, Collaros rolled right and, just when he seemed out of time, hit Binns in the corner of the end zone despite solid coverage by Da’Mon Merkerson.

Paulus was 12 of 17 for 85 yards with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Cody Catalina and his 11th interception of the season, and heard a round of boos after his errant throw.

“We got all the way down there and executed exactly the way we wanted to,” Paulus said. “We just have to close the deal.”

Cincinnati didn’t waste time getting on the board. Two plays after a holding call nullified a 50-yard reception by D.J. Woods, Collaros scrambled and hit Binns all alone in the right flat, and he raced 81 yards to give the Bearcats a 7-0 lead after four plays from scrimmage.

Cincinnati would love to have quarterback Tony Pike healthy as it tries to run the table and possibly reach the BCS title game.

Based on their performance without the standout senior last week, however, they may not need him back just yet.

Cincinnati would love to have quarterback Tony Pike healthy as it tries to [...]]]> STATS LLC

Cincinnati would love to have quarterback Tony Pike healthy as it tries to run the table and possibly reach the BCS title game.

Based on their performance without the standout senior last week, however, they may not need him back just yet.

Cincinnati would love to have quarterback Tony Pike healthy as it tries to run the table and possibly reach the BCS title game.

A visit to Syracuse doesn’t figure to present a big problem for the unbeaten Bearcats whether Pike or Zach Collaros is under center Saturday at the Carrier Dome.

Cincinnati’s no-huddle, spread offense did not miss a beat last Saturday behind Collaros, who went 15 of 17 for 253 yards and three touchdowns and added 52 rushing yards in a 41-10 win over Louisville.

The sophomore got the start one week after Pike re-injured his left (non-throwing) forearm, dislodging a plate that had been surgically implanted when he broke the arm last season. After Pike left the Oct. 15 game against South Florida, the more mobile Collaros ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns.

“It doesn’t matter who is under center with our offense,” said star receiver Mardy Gilyard, who caught his eighth touchdown pass of the season against Louisville. “Personally, I think it adds a little bit more spice to our offense with Zach in there because it keeps the defense guessing.”

Still, Pike has been a major reason why the team ranks second nationally with 40.7 points per game. It’s more likely he remains out at least one more week as his arm heals after a new plate was inserted.

“I’ve got to see where we are with some of the modifications we’re making with the cast,” Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday. “Tony is really going to kind of navigate through this. I don’t think that we’ll know anything for a couple of days. He’s gotta get out there and get comfortable first.”

The Bearcats (7-0, 3-0 Big East) certainly want him healthy for key late-season meetings with West Virginia and Pittsburgh, the other two teams who entered this week unbeaten in conference play.

After Pike led Cincinnati to the conference title and an Orange Bowl appearance last season, the team has higher aspirations this year. Although they are ranked eighth in the BCS standings, the Bearcats are hopeful an unbeaten finish would vault them into the conversation for the title game.

“I actually think we’re in better (shape) than most teams,” Kelly said. “We’re going to play at least two top 20 teams down the stretch here. That’s exciting for us. Everything is in front of us. We love our situation. Let’s keep playing. It’s early in the race, kind of anybody’s game.”

Kelly’s team will certainly have to take care of business against Syracuse, which is 3-27 in Big East play since the start of 2005.

The Orange (3-4, 0-2) already have lost twice at home in league play, allowing 34 points in each defeat, but they are coming off a 28-14 win over Akron as Delone Carter ran for a career-high 170 yards and three touchdowns.

Carter took the pressure off quarterback Greg Paulus, the former Duke basketball player in his first season with the Orange.

Paulus was 12 for 17 for 105 yards and a touchdown after having thrown two TDs and six interceptions in the team’s two Big East losses. He was replaced during a 34-13 loss to West Virginia on Oct. 10.

“He managed (the Akron) game well,” first-year Syracuse coach Doug Marrone said. “He didn’t do anything for us to lose the game. He made some good decisions that don’t get talked about.”

It will likely be much tougher for the Orange against Cincinnati, which Marrone called “one of the best teams in the country, if not the best team in the country.”

The Bearcats have won four straight against Syracuse, with Gilyard racking up 11 catches for 114 yards to spark a 30-10 victory Nov. 29.

Gilyard’s next touchdown reception would be his 23rd for the Bearcats, breaking the school record.

Cincinnati had 544 total yards in a 52-31 victory in its last visit to the Carrier Dome on Nov. 24, 2007.

No. 8 Cincinnati at Syracuse
AWAY	LOCATION	HOME
	SYRACUSE, NY Oct. 31, 12:00 PM ET
Cincinnati shoots to stay unbeaten and improve to 5-0 on the road when it visits Syracuse. The Bearcats likely will have Zach Collaros under center again, filling in for the injured Tony Pike. That didn’t matter much last week when Cincy routed Lousiville 41-10. The Bearcats have beaten Syracuse four straight times.

CINCINNATI — Fifth-ranked Cincinnati let quarterback Zach Collaros run the offense in practice Tuesday, getting him ready to start at Syracuse while Tony Pike recovers from surgery on his non-throwing arm.

Pike had the cast on his left arm shortened so he could do more on the field this week, but only participated in the [...]]]> Associated Press

CINCINNATI — Fifth-ranked Cincinnati let quarterback Zach Collaros run the offense in practice Tuesday, getting him ready to start at Syracuse while Tony Pike recovers from surgery on his non-throwing arm.

Pike had the cast on his left arm shortened so he could do more on the field this week, but only participated in the early part of practice. Coach Brian Kelly said he’s getting his sophomore backup ready to play Saturday at Syracuse (3-4).

Collaros is expected to make his second straight start for the Bearcats (7-0), who are adept at winning while switching quarterbacks. In his first collegiate start last Saturday, Collaros threw three touchdowns and only two incompletions in a 41-10 win over Louisville.

“Certainly I think your team is settled in a lot more,” Kelly said. “Our guys — it’s not an issue for them who the quarterback is this week. I don’t think it changes the way we go about the business. It’s business as usual.”

Pike broke his left forearm and dislocated the wrist last season, had a plate and six screws inserted, and returned after missing two games. The injury gave him problems during his first few games back, causing numbness and pain in the left hand.

Pike’s arm got better as the season went along, and he led the Bearcats to their first Big East title and Orange Bowl appearance. The arm was fine until Oct. 15, when a helmet hit bent the plate and forced him from the game. Collaros ran for a pair of touchdowns as Cincinnati pulled away to a 34-17 win.

Kelly said on Tuesday that Pike had a 12-inch incision — much longer than the one last year — so doctors could replace the plate. He had to wear a bulky cast last week, preventing him from playing. He didn’t even suit up for the Louisville game.

The cast was modified on Monday, and Pike expects to see what he can do in practices this week. Kelly hasn’t ruled him out against Syracuse, but the Bearcats are preparing to go with Collaros.

It’s more likely that Pike could be ready for a home game against Connecticut on Nov. 7.

“It’s pretty clear what it is right now,” Kelly said. “We’ve got to get him manageable with a cast. It took three weeks last year. We’re heading into the second week. We’re closer. I think we’re pretty much going to take this right up to game time.”

After Pike returned last season, he played the last eight games with a removable cast on the forearm. The goal is to get him ready to play that way again.

“He’s got to be the guy who ultimately signs off on this,” Kelly said. “He’s got to feel confident in his ability to go out there and do what he needs to do.

“The individual plays a huge role in this. This is not an issue where he has a concussion and has to pass a battery of tests. This is: ‘You’ve got a steel plate in there, you’ve got a cast on it, what can and can’t you do?”

After Pike left practice on Tuesday, Collaros ran the show.

“Last week, basically we ran everything we ran with Tony,” Collaros said. “I am preparing like I’m the [starter], so I’ll be ready.”