The No. 2-ranked Syracuse Orange will try to snap a seven-game winning streak to the No. 19 Louisville Cardinals, who host a Big East Conference men's basketball "Big Monday" showdown (7 p.m. on ESPN) at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, KY. The Orange (25-1, 12-1 Big East) have earned five straight victories, including two on the road, while the Cardinals (20-5, 8-4) have earned six consecutive wins.
On Saturday, Syracuse outscored the Connecticut Huskies 22-6 in the final 6 1/2 minutes to run away with a 85-57 victory at the Carrier Dome. Senior point guard Scoop Jardine netted a game-best 21 points including nine in the final six minutes to help SU cement the victory.
Sophomore forward C.J. Fair is coming off probably his best college game, as he tallied 14 points and collected a collegiate-best 12 rebounds, while sophomore guard Dion Waiters added 18 points.
Entering Monday's game, senior forward Kris Joseph is pacing the Orange in scoring with 14.3 points per game. In the last two, Joseph is averaging 22.0 ppg and is shooting a scorching 60-percent from 3-point land (9-for-15). Waiters in the second leading scorer averaging 12.4 ppg coming off the bench, while sophomore center Fab Melo is tallying team-best 5.5 rebounds per game and 3.0 blocks per game.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals have be scorching as of late, winning their last six contests after dropping five of their first seven Big East games.
On Saturday, Louisville downed the West Virginia Mountaineers, 77-74, in a tight battle at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, WV.
Louisvile enter's Monday game with five players five players averaging in double figures with senior guard Kyle Kuric leading the way with 13.2 ppg. Wayne Blackshear is second-best netting 13.0 ppg, while freshman Gorgui Dieng is posting 10.1 ppg, and leads the team in rebounding (9.2) and block shots (3.2).
Overall, the Cardinals are second in the league in rebounding (39.1 rpg).
The Orange enter the game as 2 1/2-point favorites and searching for their first victory over the Cardinal since the 2006-'07 season.
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