2009-2010 Syracuse Orange Basketball: Syracuse vs Seton Hall

A big run and a big star: That's what Syracuse University's basketball team used in order to fend off an upset-minded conference foe.

Coach Jim Boeheim had to have his Orange outfit on upset alert on Tuesday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Despite owning an unbeaten record, the 'Cuse had to be on guard against a Seton Hall squad that took No. 6 West Virginia into overtime on Saturday. The Pirates and head coach Bobby Gonzalez desperately needed a split (at minimum) against two high-profile Big East teams, so when "The Hall" came up small against the Mountaineers on Dec. 26, Syracuse had to know that it would receive an opponent's very best shot.

After 27 minutes of action, the Boeheim Bunch knew all too well just how tough a wounded foe could be.

Seven minutes into the second half at the arena nicknamed "The Rock," Seton Hall claimed a 57-51 lead. Nothing puts the brakes on a strong season like a loss in a conference opener, and without a forceful finish in New Jersey, Syracuse would have had to ask itself a fresh set of unwanted questions.

Fortunately, those queries won't trip across the lips of the lads from upstate New York. Because of a decisive surge and a catalyst who made it happen, the Orange left Newark with a 13-0 record.

The run was a big-league burst for SU: The six-point deficit after 27 minutes of play turned into a 66-57 lead with 5:56 left in regulation. In seven minutes, Syracuse reeled off 15 straight points and throttled Seton Hall with Boeheim's signature 2-3 zone. The man at the center of the Orange storm was Wesley Johnson, the transfer from Iowa State who has turned Syracuse into a top 10 ballclub and a legitimate Final Four contender.

Johnson scored nine of SU's points during the 15-0 spurt, and the junior from Corsicana, Tex., also registered seven rebounds and two blocked shots during that seven-minute sequence, which wiped away the first 27 minutes of sluggish basketball for Syracuse. All told, Johnson finished with a spectacular scoreline, as the small forward - that's right, a small forward, not a power forward or center - delivered 20 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks to the Orange.

Seton Hall climbed within three points, at 73-70, with 31 seconds remaining, but when SU's Kris Joseph produced an old-fashioned 3-point play with 28 ticks left on the clock, the Pirates' last best chance at victory evaporated. The Cuse had sealed a very satisfying triumph at the start of their Big East schedule.

Wesley Johnson is a wondrous talent, but what's instructive about the transfer is that he doesn't just post big numbers. Johnson makes impact plays in key situations, a reality that was never more apparent than on a tense Tuesday in New Jersey. If Johnson gets more help from his teammates, Syracuse won't need 15-0 runs to win Big East ballgames. Then, the Orange will find even more fulfillment as this promising campaign moves forward.

Syracuse vs Seton Hall Basketball Recap