DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE 1 College Street, Worcester, MA 01610 Phone: (508) 793-2583 • Fax: (508) 793-2309 www.GoHolyCross.com [email protected] 2016-2017 HOLY CROSS MEN’S BASKETBALL HOLY CROSS (0-1, 0-0 PL) vs. #18 SYRACUSE (1-0, 0-0 ACC) NOVEMBER 15, 2016 • 7:00 P.M. CARRIER DOME (34,616) • SYRACUSE, N.Y. GAMEDAY QUICK FACTS: 2016-2017 SCHEDULE & RESULTS Live Video Streaming: ACC Network Extra; www.espn.com/watchespn Holy Cross Radio: WEEI 1440 AM, Worcester; Dick Lutsk, play-by-play; DATE OPPONENT ..................TIME / SCORE www.weei.com/holycross, internet Nov. 13 at South Carolina # .....................L, 49-81 Unofficial Live Statistics: www.cuse.com Nov. 15 at #18 Syracuse # .....................7:00 p.m. Series Record: Syracuse leads, 14-12 Nov. 20 MASSACHUSETTS (at DCU Center) ...1:05 p.m. Last Meeting: Syracuse 72, Holy Cross 48 (Nov. 28, 2014; Syracuse, N.Y.) Nov. 22 at Harvard ...........................7:00 p.m. Nov. 25 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE #. 1:05 p.m. PROBABLE HOLY CROSS STARTERS: Nov. 27 MONMOUTH # ....................12:05 p.m. Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. PPG RPG Nov. 30 at Albany ............................7:00 p.m. F 21 Malachi Alexander 6-7 217 Sr. 15.0 6.0 Dec. 3 at New Hampshire .....................1:00 p.m. F 22 Robert Champion 6-6 203 Sr. 18.0 4.0 Dec. 7 at Maine ............................5:30 p.m. C 20 Jehyve Floyd 6-7 212 So. 0.0 1.0 Dec. 11 QUINNIPIAC .......................1:05 p.m. G 2 Anthony Thompson 5-10 150 Sr. 3.0 2.0 Dec. 18 at Rhode Island ......................12:30 p.m. G 10 Patrick Benzan 5-11 170 So. 4.0 0.0 Dec. 21 at Sacred Heart .......................7:00 p.m. Dec. 23 MARIST ...........................12:05 p.m. Dec. 30 at Boston University * .................7:00 p.m. The Holy Cross men’s basketball team returns to action on Tuesday, Jan. 2 NAVY * .............................7:05 p.m. Nov. 15, when it travels to Syracuse for at 7:00 p.m. game as part of the Jan. 5 at Colgate * ..........................7:00 p.m. Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational. The contest between the Crusaders Jan. 8 BUCKNELL * .......................1:05 p.m. and the Orange can be seen online through ACC Network Extra and Watch Jan. 11 LAFAYETTE * ......................7:05 p.m. ESPN. In addition the game will air live on WEEI 1440 AM in Worcester. Jan. 14 at Lehigh * ..........................2:00 p.m. In its season opener on Sunday night, Holy Cross was defeated by Jan. 18 at Army West Point * ..................7:00 p.m. South Carolina 81-49. Senior guard Robert Champion led the team in Jan. 23 AMERICAN * .......................7:05 p.m. scoring with 18 points, in addition to pulling down four rebounds. Senior Jan. 25 at Loyola (Md.) * .....................7:30 p.m. forward Malachi Alexander also played well against the Gamecocks, Jan. 28 at Navy * ............................4:00 p.m. totaling 15 points, six rebounds and two assists. Feb. 1 COLGATE * ........................7:05 p.m. The Crusaders are now in their second year under head coach Bill Feb. 6 at Bucknell * .........................7:00 p.m. Feb. 8 at Lafayette * .........................7:00 p.m. Carmody, and are coming off a 2015-2016 season in which they won the Feb. 12 LEHIGH * .........................12:05 p.m. Patriot League Tournament title and posted their first NCAA Tournament Feb. 15 ARMY WEST POINT * ...............7:05 p.m. victory since 1953. Feb. 19 at American * ........................2:00 p.m. Currently ranked 18th in the nation by the Associated Press, Syracuse Feb. 22 LOYOLA (MD.) * ....................7:05 p.m. opened the year with an 83-55 victory over Colgate on Friday night. Senior Feb. 25 BOSTON UNIVERSITY * .............1:05 p.m. forward Tyler Roberson led the Orange with 18 points and four rebounds, Feb. 28 Patriot League First Round while hitting nine of 13 field goal attempts. Senior guard Andrew White (17 Mar. 2 Patriot League Quarterfinals points), senior guard John Gillon (13 points) and sophomore guard Frank Mar. 5 Patriot League Semifinals Howard (11 points) also scored in double figures against the Raiders. Mar. 8 Patriot League Championship Game Syracuse is coming off a 2015-2016 season in which it went 23-14 overall, posted a 9-9 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference and advanced Home games played at the Hart Center unless otherwise noted to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. * Patriot League games After the contest with the Orange, Holy Cross will play host to # Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational All times listed are Eastern Standard Time Massachusetts in its home opener at the DCU Center on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 1:05 p.m. 13 NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES: 1947, 1948, 1950, 1953, 1956, 1977, 1980, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2016 2016-2017 HOLY CROSS MEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYING ON THE BIG STAGE: The crowd for the Holy Cross-Syracuse MEDIA SERVICES & POLICIES game could be one of the largest to ever see the Crusaders play. The most fans to ever see Holy Cross showed up on March 14, 2002, with 26,612 in attendance for a contest against Kansas in the first round of the NCAA INTERVIEWS Tournament at the at Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Mo. The largest Personal interviews with head coach Bill Carmody, his staff and regular season crowd came on Nov. 27, 2006, when 19,235 were on hand players can be arranged through Charles Bare at (508) 793-2583 or for the Crusaders’ game at Syracuse. Here is a look at the top five crowds [email protected]. Arrangements for all interviews should be in Holy Cross history: made at least 24 hours in advance. Home phone numbers will not be given out, and on game day, only postgame interviews will be granted. 1. 26,612 Holy Cross vs. Kansas 3/14/2002 2. 20,960 Holy Cross vs. Marquette 3/20/2003 POSTGAME PROCEDURES 3. 19,916 Holy Cross vs. Southern Illinois 3/16/2007 The Holy Cross basketball locker room is closed to the media. Mem- 4. 19,235 Holy Cross at Syracuse 11/27/2006 bers of the media should submit player interview requests to Charles 5. 19,232 Holy Cross at Louisville 12/7/2003 Bare of Holy Cross by the five-minute mark of the second half. For games at the Hart Center, a postgame press conference will be held CHAMPION COMING OFF STRONG SEASON: Senior guard Robert in the Bud Ryan Room on the second floor following a 10-minute Champion is once again a key player in the Holy Cross backcourt this cooling off period. year. In the season opener at South Carolina, Champion led the team with 18 points and four rebounds. Last season, Champion averaged a team-best SYRACUSE MEDIA INFORMATION 12.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest. Against Oregon in last Any media member wishing to speak to head coach Jim Boeheim or year’s NCAA Tournament, he led the team with 22 points on eight of 14 a Syracuse player should contact SID Pete Moore at (315) 443-2608 shooting. Champion also played well in the 2016 NCAA First Four victory or [email protected]. over Southern, leading the team with 19 points and four rebounds, including a three-pointer and two key free throws in the final minute. Some of his other top performances in last year’s postseason came at Army in the Patriot THE SERIES WITH SYRACUSE: This will be the 27th meeting between League semifinals (team-high 15 points, six rebounds and two assists) and the Crusaders and the Orange on the hardwood. Syracuse leads the all-time at Bucknell in the Patriot League quarterfinals (10 points, nine rebounds series 14-12, although the schools have met only twice since the 1980-1981 and two steals, including a three-pointer to tie the game as time expired in season. Syracuse has won the last six games between the teams, with the the first overtime). Over the course of his Holy Cross career, Champion has last Crusader victory coming on Jan. 5, 1972 (99-93 in Worcester). Holy now totaled 644 points, 247 rebounds, 69 assists and 58 steals. Cross and Syracuse first met on Dec. 30, 1949, with the Crusaders posting a 71-58 victory in Syracuse. SERIES QUICK FACTS SOUTH CAROLINA RECAP Overall. Syracuse leads, 14-12 In Syracuse ........................Syracuse leads, 10-3 Robert Champion totaled 18 points and four rebounds, but Holy At the Carrier Dome ..................Syracuse leads, 3-0 Cross was defeated by South Carolina 81-49 in its season opener at Bill Carmody vs. Syracuse ..........................0-1 Colonial Life Arena on Nov. 13, 2016. Malachi Alexander added 15 Jim Boeheim vs. Holy Cross .........................3-0 points, six rebounds and two assists, while connecting on five of 11 Current Win Streak .................. Syracuse, six games field goal attempts and three of five shots from three-point range. The In Overtime .....................................n / a Crusaders held an early 4-3 lead in the opening minutes, before the Gamecocks scored six straight points to pull in front. South Carolina ALEXANDER PLAYS PROMINENT ROLE: Senior forward Malachi increased its advantage to 11 (24-13) midway through the half, before Alexander is once again one of the top players for the Crusaders this Holy Cross went on an 11-5 run to close to within five (29-24). The year. In the season opener at South Carolina, Alexander totaled 15 points, Crusaders were still down by five (31-26) with 4:38 left in the half, six rebounds and two assists.