The same play stood out in the minds of Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson in the locker room Wednesday night, and both were quick to bring it up. For Syracuse’s two big men, one blocked shot in the Orange’s 82-60 win over Canisius proved why playing them together is the way to go.

About midway through the second half, a Canisius (3-7) player flipped the ball up, inches above the outstretched fingertips of a leaping Onuaku. As the ball reached its apex, Jackson came flying in from the weak side and smacked the shot into the front row, eliciting a loud ovation from the 16,262 fans in the Carrier Dome.

Immediately, Onuaku ran over to Jackson, slapped him high-five and said, ‘Good help.’

That kind of help defense was one reason why SU head coach Jim Boeheim tried out a new lineup for much of the second half Wednesday – one that put Onuaku and Jackson on the court at the same time for extended minutes for virtually the first time all season. The duo responded by combining for 26 points and 17 rebounds, and their play effectively led the charge that sealed the game for Syracuse (10-1)

In Onuaku and Jackson’s 11-minute stretch on the floor together, the Orange extended its nine-point lead to as much as 21 and ensured it would bounce back after Monday night’s last-second loss to Cleveland State.

‘I can get more rebounds with the biggest guy on him, and the second-biggest guy has gotta be on me,’ said Jackson, whose 14 points was a career-high. ‘So it works both ways.’

Boeheim used his regular lineup to start the game, playing Kristof Ongenaet at power forward with Onuaku at center, and Syracuse got off to another sluggish start. Despite having a clear size and athletic advantage over the Golden Griffins, the game remained close for the game’s first 16 minutes.

The Orange was again plagued early by poor shooting, sloppy turnovers and inconsistent rebounding. In the first half, Syracuse allowed 10 offensive boards that turned into 10 second-chance points for Canisius. The Golden Griffins had two put-back slams and an alley-oop in the contest’s first 20 minutes alone.

Onuaku and Jackson started the second half together and right away the tone of the game shifted Syracuse’s way. Using a high-low offensive set, Jackson started the second-half with two easy buckets, including a dunk that ignited a fast 7-0 run. The lead would never dip inside 11 points again.

‘We were able to set double screens up high, have Jonny (Flynn) come off, and then you have the high-low with Rick or Arinze,’ said shooting guard Andy Rautins, who scored six points Wednesday. ‘It’s a double threat out there. The guys are strong, and they can finish well around the basket.’

Seeing Onuaku and Jackson on the court together may be a sign of things to come. Syracuse has a tough match-up coming Saturday on the road against No. 23 Memphis, a team laden with size, strength and athleticism. The Tigers are led by big men Shawn Taggart and Robert Dozier, who are 6-foot-10 and 6-foot-9, respectively. They combine to average 17 rebounds per game.

After Wednesday’s game, Jackson speculated that Boeheim might have played him and Onuaku together in preparation for Saturday.

But the lineup change may not necessarily become a staple in Syracuse’s strategy.

In his postgame press conference, Boeheim stressed that he is not ready to pass long-term judgment after such a short sample and wants to see more. Ongeanet, though impressed with the centers’ play Wednesday, said he wasn’t sure if the lineup would last. Forward Paul Harris warned of the potential danger of having them on the court together, citing the potential for foul trouble.

Still, at least for one game, Syracuse found a combination that worked. And if it works again Saturday against Memphis, the Orange’s backup center may find himself as the primary power forward.

‘We wanted to do that, but we haven’t done it much this year because there’ve been such small teams we’ve been playing against,’ Boeheim said of playing Onuaku and Jackson together. ‘We wanted to look at that. …That’s something certainly that gives us another rebounder out there for sure. I think that’s something we can see sometimes for sure.’

jediamon@syr.edu

Published on December 19, 2008 at 12:00 pm