Syracuse Outlasts UConn in Six Overtimes in Big East Tournament

In the longest game in Big East Tournament history - a six overtime marathon - Syracuse finally put away UConn. The Syracuse and UConn Big East Tournament game lasted a record six overtimes and didn't end until after 1:15 in the morning. All of this after it appeared that it wouldn't be going into overtime at all.

With the game tied at 71, Syracuse guard Eric Devendorf launched a three point shot as time expired in regulation. The horn sounded a fraction of a second late, and watching the shot live it looked like Syracuse won the game. The team ran the court in a celebratory frenzy and it looked like UConn suffered another early round upset in Big East Tournament play.

But the replay angles clearly showed that Devendorf released the shot about one tenth of a second after the clocks reached 0.0 seconds. So to overtime we went in the Big East Tournament showdown between UConn and Syracuse. Little did we know what we were getting into, at now about 11:30 PM Thursday evening (and after a 9:30 PM tip off).

Syracuse played a game the night before while UConn enjoyed an off night resulting from their high ranking. It appeared that Syracuse would be an easy target for the UConn Huskies in the extra periods of play. Not only did they play the night before, but they were facing a team with more talent and size, and they had to come back from the crushing psychological blow of having their game winning shot taken away.

However, the two teams proved to be the perfect foil for one another and traded the lead again and again throughout overtime play. By the third overtime it seemed that Syracuse's tired legs would finally be the end of them. They let several long rebounds escape their grasp and UConn seemed to be taking control of the game.

However, UConn player Stan Robinson fouled out after scoring 29 points and playing an all around great game. Still, UConn recovered two of their own offensive rebounds within the last minute of the third overtime period and Syracuse appeared down and out. But yet, Syracuse managed to tie the game once again.

Going into the fourth overtime of this Big East Tournament showdown, Syracuse had only played seven players. Two of those players fouled out, leaving Syracuse with only five players in their rotation. A third player then fouled out for the team, and an 8th player was brought in that hadn't played all night.

Soon after though things looked up for the Orangemen, as UConn star Hasheem Thabeet fouled out. With the big man out of the game, Syracuse began to take it to the rim on every possession. However, they missed many opportunities, and Paul Harris missed 5 lay-ups and short put in opportunities all by himself, including two at the buzzer of the fourth overtime.

To the fifth overtime we would go, and a fourth Syracuse player fouled out, this time it was the would be hero Devendorf. By the time he left the game, he had played a Herculean 60 minutes. It took Syracuse three minutes to score their first bucket in the fifth overtime period. With less than a minute to go, it was tied once again, now at 108.

UConn reserve Scottie Haralson knocked down a jumper to give the Huskies a 110-108 lead, before Jonny Flynn calmly managed to hit another two free throws at tie the game yet again. With seven seconds left on the clock Huskies player A.J. Price missed a three pointer, but Jeff Adrien managed to get the rebound and had an open look with time running out. However, the shot clunked off the rim, and the game entered a sixth overtime.

Entering the sixth overtime, Syracuse had not held a lead in any overtime period and four of their starters were fouled out. But they opened up the sixth overtime with a three point shot by Andy Rautins. The score was 113-110, and Syracuse wouldn't look back. On the next possession, Harris finally managed to guide the ball through the net on a close look to give the Orangemen a five point lead.

In a following possession, Harris missed another easy shot, but yet again grabbed his own rebound. This time he put the second chance opportunity in, and was fouled in the process. With two minutes and thirty seconds left, it was an eight point, 118-110 lead for Syracuse. Syracuse, a poor foul shooting team hit approximately 90% of their free throws through all six overtimes.

Finally, after six overtimes of grueling basketball, every player exhausted and ground down to their last ounce of physical and mental strength, Syracuse had won the game. UConn's number one seed in the NCAA Tournament may have vanished along the way. The final score was 126-117. Jonny Flynn led all scorers with 34 points, and his clutch foul shooting and controlled play making was the key for the Orangemen in overtime. He scored 17 of his points in the six overtimes, and he played a whopping 67 minutes.

The Syracuse UConn game was the first game in the NCAA this season to last six overtimes and the first Big East Tournament game (or Big East regular season game) ever to extend that far. It was also the first time UConn or Syracuse ever played in a game that long. The game ended over an hour and a half after the final regulation buzzer.

The Syracuse and UConn Big East Tournament six overtime game was one of the great games ever played, and represents everything that is magical, mad, mystical and majestic about March and NCAA tournament time.