NEW YORK – Louisville’s defense has tormented its first two opponents in the Big East tournament so far. Villanova and Notre Dame had no way to slow down the swarming Cardinals, who have a total of 23 steals in two games.

Syracuse slowed Louisville down once this season and now has a chance to try and do it again.

With its 58-55 overtime win over Georgetown on Friday, the Orange moves on to the tournament finals to face the Cardinals, who are on a nine-game winning streak. Louisville’s defense, which includes a stifling full-court press, is first in the Big East in steals at 10.7 per game, and the Cardinals are first in the league in turnover margin at plus-5.94.

Syracuse has already beaten the top two teams in the league in scoring defense, Pittsburgh and Georgetown. Louisville, allowing 57.9 points per game, is third.

“They play great defense that has been leading to their offense,” Syracuse forward C.J. Fair said.

Louisville guard Russ Smith is averaging 24 points per game through the Cardinals’ two games in the tournament.

The Orange beat then-No. 1 Louisville back on Jan. 19 at the KFC Yum! Center 70-68, but the Cardinals earned revenge against Syracuse with a 58-53 win at the Carrier Dome on March 2. Fair said Syracuse “gave it away” that day.

Now the Orange has a chance to get it back, along with the Big East championship.

The game is also the final time the two teams will play each other as Big East foes. Syracuse is moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference next season. Louisville will follow the year after.

The Cardinals beat Villanova 74-55 in the quarterfinals on Thursday. They held the Wildcats to just 38.9 percent shooting from the field, and forced the Wildcats into 24 turnovers.

Louisville head coach Rick Pitino said his team had 58 deflections in the game. Forty is normally considered a high number of deflections, he said.  The Cardinals had 38 at halftime.

“And that’s never happened in my 80 years of coaching.  So it was an incredible thing to witness,” Pitino said after the game. “ Very, very active.”

In the semifinals, Louisville held Notre Dame to 36.5 percent shooting. The Fighting Irish turned the ball over 16 times.

Cardinals guard Peyton Siva had a remarkable seven steals. He said after the game Louisville is perfect for this type of tournament since the Cardinals are conditioned to push the pace at all times, and are also conditioned to play three days in a row.

“We’re used to it.  We’re used to running,” Siva said. “ We’re used to getting up and down.  I just think that this style and the way the tournaments are played, Coach P is really great at coaching us throughout it.  A lot of teams wants to slow it down, and he wants to push the pace.”

Syracuse is going to have to take care of the basketball, which it didn’t do at times on Friday. The Orange committed 14 turnovers against Georgetown. Guard Michael Carter-Williams had six on his own.

Carter-Williams, who is 6 feet, 6 inches, often struggles against smaller guards, something that could hurt him against the 6-foot Siva.

The Orange’s defense has been strong all year, and Louisville’s has tormented its opponents as well.

Now that fast, overbearing Cardinals defense is standing in the way of Syracuse winning the Big East tournament in its final year in the league.

“This is big time,” SU forward James Southerland said, “the Big East Tournament, and we’re here and ready to play.”

Published on March 16, 2013 at 3:07 pm

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