Going out champions

SYRACUSE — Arinze Onuaku's five years at Syracuse have been filled with many memorable moments, but also periods of physical agony and emotional frustration.

Yet, the senior from Lanham, Md., has always conducted himself with class and dignity, and has been the ultimate team player for the Orange.

So it was fitting that the fifth-year senior co-captain should produce one of the best all-around games of his career in his home finale to help top-ranked SU finish off its Carrier Dome season with an 85-66 Big East Conference victory over St. John's on Tuesday night.

Onuaku scored a season-high 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds to spark SU (28-2 overall, 15-2 conference) to its first outright Big East championship since the 1990-91 season.

Andy Rautins, his fellow senior, also went out in style, scoring 14 points and dishing out seven assists on an emotional night before 26,081 appreciative fans.

"You never think about being a senior when you come to college," said Onuaku, whose mother saw him play in the Dome for the first time. "Andy and I hit town at the same time and we've been through a lot together. We were two guys that they felt wouldn't be much, underrated guys. We came here, worked hard, and it's paid off."

Rautins, who was very emotional while speaking of leaving the Dome, said the relationship he has developed with Onuaku and the SU fans will last a lifetime.

"I have such a deep respect for this place," said the Jamesville native. "AO has been such a good friend. He's a great person with tremendous character and we've shared so much."

SU coach Jim Boeheim said of his two departing players, "They've been our unquestioned leaders since Day 1. To see how they've matured and contributed to this program is a tribute to them. Besides being tremendous players, they are exceptional people."

Kris Joseph and Wes Johnson each scored 13 points and Scoop Jardine added 10 as SU, coming off an emotional win against Villanova on Saturday night, took awhile to find its rhythm. A 17-4 run toward the end of the first half produced a 14-point halftime lead, and St. John's never got any closer the rest of the game.

"To come back as focused after Saturday is not that big a surprise because this team has done it all year," Boeheim said. "To win this league outright with a game to play (Saturday at Louisville) is a tremendous accomplishment. These kids deserve to be called champions because they've played like it all year."

The team was awarded the Big East championship trophy following the game.

"To be No. 1 in this league is something we've all dreamed about," said Onuaku, who shot 10-for-13 from the floor. "When I was walking off the court for the final time (with 2:47 to play), I was just trying to soak in the atmosphere and enjoy the final few minutes in front of all our loyal fans."

Said Johnson, Onuaku's roommate: "He was a little more excited than usual before the game. When he has that big smile on his face you know something special is going to happen."

Boeheim said Onuaku, sometimes criticized for playing too soft, "has been more aggressive and active over the past few weeks. He's gone to the boards better the last two games than he has all year. I think that's because his knees are now feeling better than they have since he's been here."

After playing sparingly his freshman year, Onuaku had off-season knee surgery and missed his entire sophomore season. His knees haven't been 100 percent since. But he said that year sitting on the sidelines was the best thing that could have happened to him.

"It helped me mature a lot physically and emotionally," said Onuaku, also a standout student in sports management. "Sitting out gave me an opportunity to work on my conditioning, my post game and my defense. And the coaches have been great, guiding me through the entire process."

Boeheim even went so far as to proclaim the versatile Rautins the MVP of the league. "He won't win it," Boeheim said, "but he should."

The only negative heading into the postseason is Johnson's health. The junior transfer has been nursing a sore right thumb since hurting it against Connecticut on Feb. 10.

"It's still very sore," Boeheim said. "But we'll have a nice rest this week, and then we won't play in the tournament until next Thursday. I expect it to be a lot better by then. If there is still a lot of pain, we'll think about sitting him down."

St. John's (15-1, 5-11) was led by D. J. Kennedy with 19 points and Paris Horne with 18.