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Providence goes for marquee win against Syracuse

Jan 28, 2009 - 11:22 AM No. 15 Syracuse (17-4) at Providence (13-6) 7:00 p.m. EST

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (Ticker) -- Providence has been one of the biggest surprises in the Big East season. The Friars are still in search of a win over a member of the conference's elite after failing on its first two tries.

Providence gets the first of three consecutive chances Wednesday when it hosts suddenly struggling 15th-ranked Syracuse.

Currently fifth place in the loaded Big East, which has half of its 16 teams ranked in the Top 25, Providence (13-6, 5-2 Big East) has used a balanced scoring attack to put itself in the top half of the league standings.

Weyinmi Efejuku leads the team with 13.4 points per game while five other players contribute at least 9.0 per contest. Jeff Xavier scored 20 and Efejuku added 19 in a 98-93 overtime win over Seton Hall Thursday.

However, the Friars' five conference wins are against teams with a combined 6-22 record in league play, while their two losses have come to a pair of ranked foes, Marquette and Georgetown. After its matchup with the Orange, Providence visits No. 2 Connecticut on Saturday and hosts 21st-ranked Villanova next Wednesday.

The Orange (17-4, 5-3 Big East) have not fared well against ranked opponents either lately, finishing a stretch of four in a row with a 1-3 record after a 14-1 start to the season.

Syracuse hopes to re-ignite its high-powered offense and avoid a three-game slide while leapfrogging Providence in the process. Averaging nearly 80 points a game, the Orange have scored a combined 117 points in back-to-back losses.

Eric Devendorf scored 20 points off the bench but received little help from his teammates in a 67-57 home loss to Louisville on Sunday. Jonny Flynn is averaging 15.9 points and 5.9 assists per game, but had just 12 and four in the setback against the Cardinals.