UConn gets deep-sixed

Syracuse survives Big East marathon

NEW YORK - The day began with No. 1 seed Louisville rolling over No. 8 Providence, which saw its NCAA Tournament hopes all but extinguished, and No. 4 Villanova coming up with a last-second basket to edge No. 5 Marquette. Nothing stunning.

Then in the opener of last night's Big East tournament quarterfinal at Madison Square Garden, the University of Connecticut received a booster shot when No. 7 seed West Virginia knocked off No. 2 Pittsburgh, 74-60, a Pitt team that had beaten UConn twice during the regular season.

Suddenly the path was a little clearer. The Huskies defeated Louisville by 17 points in February, knocked off Villanova by 8 in January, and topped Syracuse by 14 in February.

But this was the Big East tournament, and it was Syracuse and coach Jim Boeheim, who is in the Hall of Fame with UConn coach Jim Calhoun. And Big East tournament history buffs - of which Calhoun is a charter member - needed only to go back the past five years, when Syracuse (three times) and West Virginia knocked off the Huskies in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.

Calhoun had his theme for the night in his pregame speech to a team that does not have a player on the roster who had won a Big East tournament game.

In a game that lived up to the tradition of Hall of Fame coaches, the Huskies and Orange staged the longest game in tournament history before Syracuse prevailed, 127-117, in six overtimes, as Orange guard Jonny Flynn scored a game-high 34 points. It was the second-longest game in Division 1 history, one overtime short of the record set in Cincinnati's 75-73 victory over Bradley in 1981.

The Orange face West Virginia in tonight's semifinal, while Villanova and Louisville meet in the other semifinal.

Four players from each team fouled out, Flynn played 67 of 70 minutes, and the end of regulation was as dramatic as the overtimes.

"I can't even feel my legs right now," Flynn said. "I was thinking, 'Let's let this game end, get it over with one way or the other.' "

After UConn's Kemba Walker tied the score with a follow-up layup with 1.1 seconds left, Syracuse appeared to have won when Paul Harris threw a three-quarter-court pass to Eric Devendorf, who let a 3-pointer fly at the buzzer that went swishing through the net to give the Orange an apparent 74-71 victory.

But the play was reviewed and officials ruled that Devendorf's shot left his hands after the clock expired.

"There's no way to describe this game," said Boeheim. "It may have been the best game I've ever seen. I can't talk enough about the things that happened in this game. Two teams going at it. Just an unbelievable effort by both clubs."

The overtimes were wild. The Huskies jumped to a quick 4-point lead in the first OT, only to have Syracuse climb right back. Stanley Robinson hit a 3-pointer with 1:23 left to give the Huskies more breathing room at 80-76, but Syracuse's Andy Rautins matched it with 1:04 left to cut the lead to 80-79.

A.J. Price missed a long-range jumper with 36.4 seconds left and the Orange had another chance. Rautins missed a jumper from the key with 16 seconds left and the Huskies grabbed the rebound. Robinson was fouled and made one of two free throws to give the Huskies an 81-79 lead with 10 seconds left.

But Flynn drove the lane and dumped the ball to Rick Jackson, who put in a layup with 4.9 seconds left to tie it at 81-81, sending the game into a second overtime.

Fatigue started to take over as both teams began missing open shots and turning the ball over. And once again it came down to the final seconds. With the score tied at 87, both teams had chances to win - and both missed.

In the third overtime, the Huskies jumped to a 6-point lead. Syracuse cut it in half. The Huskies built it to 6 again. Syracuse cut it in half again. In the final minute, the Huskies were clinging to a 97-95 lead. The Huskies, who were horrible from the foul line (24 of 42), couldn't put the Orange away. With 21.3 seconds left, Devendorf fouled Price after the Huskies had grabbed two offensive rebounds to seemingly control the game.

But Price missed his first foul shot. He made the second to give the Huskies a 98-95 lead, but Rautins countered with a 3-pointer to tie it with 11.7 seconds left.

In the fourth overtime, with the score tied at 104-104, Flynn's reverse layup rolled around the rim and spun out.

The Huskies had their chance with 38.3 seconds left. Price worked the clock to 12 seconds before he made his move - and missed.

With both teams fighting exhaustion in the fifth overtime, play got even sloppier and rougher. During the first three minutes, Price, who had a team-high 33 points, scored 4 points to give the Huskies a 108-104 lead.

But on this night that had turned into morning, Syracuse was not done. Flynn hit a layup and made a pair of foul shots to tie the game at 108. But then Scottie Haralson, a seldom-used sub, hit a jumper to give UConn a 110-108 lead.

No problem. Flynn countered with a pair of foul shots.

UConn had a last chance with 21 seconds left. After a timeout, Price missed and Jeff Adrien missed and it was on to the sixth overtime.

Syracuse scored the first 5 points to take a 115-110 lead. But the Huskies had nothing left as they missed shot after shot (UConn shot 43 of 102, 42.2 percent).

When Harris put in a layup and was fouled with 2:34 left, the Orange had their biggest lead of the night, 118-110.

The Huskies had enough time, but not enough energy.

"We had an opportunity to close the door on them," Calhoun said. "We couldn't do it."