Your Take: Who Should Have Gotten Coal In Their Stocking This Christmas?

ANOTHER BIRTHDAY FOR MISSING WOMAN

By ED GONSER Special to the Times Leader
 Sunday, December 25, 2005 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1C 





The game will be more than a homecoming for Gerry McNamara. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We need to go down there and win a game," he said. "It's not all fun and
games. It's fun for me because it's my hometown and I get to play in front of
them, but it's not like we're going to be going on a tour of Scranton." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When McNamara and the Syracuse Orange play Towson University at 7 p.m.
Tuesday at Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township, it will be all business
for the Bishop Hannan graduate. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Plus, it will be an opportunity for area fans to see two of the top players
to come out of Northeastern Pennsylvania high school basketball in years --
McNamara and Towson's Tim Crossin, a Bishop O'Reilly graduate. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The only problem with the Wachovia (Arena) is that it's not big enough for
an event like this," said McNamara's father, Gerry. "If it was as big as the
(Carrier) Dome we could fill it. People are calling us all the time to see if
we have a couple of extras tucked away. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It's a tribute to Crossin and Gerry that the game would sell out in 48
hours." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said Syracuse fans support McNamara because
"he's a good player and a down-to-earth kid. He's a blue-collar player, and
Scranton and Syracuse are blue-collar-type towns, and that's why he's as
respected as he is. It says a lot about the type of kid he is and the type of
player he is." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McNamara, a senior, will be starting his 112th consecutive game Tuesday,
the longest current streak in the nation. He leads the Orange in scoring (17.5
points per game), assists (58), steals (23), three-pointers (36) and
free-throw percentage (.944). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The fans in Syracuse and the fans in Scranton are so energetic that I'm
expecting the same kind of reaction I get (in the Carrier Dome)," McNamara
said. "They (Scranton fans) are warm, they can really embrace their players
and I think that's what's great about the area. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Scranton really didn't need to embrace me and neither did Syracuse, but
they did and that's a special thing that not many people get a chance to be a
part of." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McNamara helped the Orange to the Big East championship last season before
the team was upset by Vermont in the first round of the NCAA playoffs. In
2004, McNamara was a big part of Syracuse's run to the Sweet 16; and as a
sharpshooting guard in the 2003 NCAA final against Kansas, he helped lead the
Orange, along with Final Four MVP Carmelo Anthony, to the national title. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This season, not only is McNamara being looked upon as a scorer, he's
become the team's leader. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Gerry as a four-year starter brings a lot of maturity and experience to
the game," said Josh Wright, who will inherit the starting point guard spot at
SU next season. "Anything I can learn from Gerry will be a big plus for our
team in the future. He's more than willing to teach. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Gerry is a low-maintenance guy. He's not visible all the time (off the
court). He hangs with his friends and keeps a few close to him. I think
learning to be around people that are only going to help you is one of the
biggest things I can take away from Gerry off the court." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Though he is Syracuse's go-to player, the Orange do have a number of
additional outside threats this season with the addition of freshmen Eric
Devendorf and Andy Rautins, along with the return of junior Demitris Nichols
and sophomore Wright. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The one thing we do better than last year's team is we have more
consistency," Boeheim said. "When Gerry starts making more (three-point
shots), which I'm sure he will, there's no question we're a much better
outside shooting team." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McNamara has struggled from three-point range this season, making 36-of-105
(34 percent). In a win over Illinois-Chicago on Wednesday, McNamara made only
2-of-13 treys, but did have a career-high 12 assists. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It's not a secret anymore, people just aren't going to leave me," McNamara
said. "Demitris has earned a reputation that he can just flat-out shoot the
ball, and now people are going to guard him tight. And Eric, too." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McNamara is quickly moving up on the all-time Syracuse scoring list,
currently 12th. If he averages 20 points per game the rest of the season, he
could end up as high as third all-time for the Orange. McNamara also ranks
sixth all-time in assists (509) and eighth in steals (215). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It's gone so fast, it's crazy," he said. "I'm at a loss for words to
explain it. The last three years have been great. I'm not quite ready to
reflect on my college career just yet. There will be plenty of time for that
at the end of the season." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Although McNamara is having some hot and cold streaks from three-point
range this season, including going 0-for-10 against Cornell and 0-for-6
against TCU, he most likely will be Syracuse's all-time long-distance shooter
and maker for quite some time. He currently has 909 attempts from three-point
range, making 327. He has a shot of the national mark of 413 held by Curtis
Staples of Virginia from 1995-98. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "If I struggle and get double-doubles, I hope that's the story of the
season," said McNamara. "If I can still be productive and help the team win,
then I'll take a bad night shooting any night, as long as we get the win." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 McNamara looks forward to catching up with friends and family around the
holidays. "I've had pretty much the same group of people around me since day
one and moving away and being away for most of the year is tough. But it makes
it that much better when you get to go home and see them again." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "He's a blue-collar player, and Scranton and Syracuse are blue-collar-type
towns, and that's why he's as respected as he is." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim On Gerry McNamara &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mcnamara Sees Business To Take Care Of/ Scranton Native And Syracuse Star Knows That Amid The Hoopla There's Game To Be Won Tuesday Vs. Towson.