TicketsMarch 8, 2006
NEW YORK CITY - James White scored a career-high 32 points and Eric Hicks posted his 12th double-double of the season, but it was Syracuse senior Gerry McNamara who came away the hero, hitting a game-winning three-pointer with 0.5 seconds left to lead the Orange to a 74-73 win in the first round of the BIG EAST Championship on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.
The Bearcats (19-12) could have sewn up an NCAA Tournament berth with a win, but instead will have to wait to hear them name called on selection Sunday.
UC looked to have completed a tremendous comeback, erasing a 14-point deficit to pull ahead in the final minutes. The Bearcats started a 6-0 run with 5:00 minutes left, taking their first lead since 13-12. Freshman Devan Downey picked the pocket of SU's Eric Devendorf and went in for the lay-up to give UC a 67-66 edge with 3:39 to play.
SU regained the lead after one of UC's 17 turnovers, but White responded with his third three-pointer of the half for a 70-68 advantage with 2:22 left. McNamara handed out one of his nine assists with 1:11 on the clock, finding Darryl Watkins open for a dunk to tie the game.
With 30.7 seconds left, Syracuse's Terrence Roberts went to the line for SU's only free throws of the second half and made one-of-two for a 71-70 lead.
After a timeout, UC ran the clock down and Jihad Muhammad found White at the foul line for an open jumper, which he knocked down with 10.5 seconds left. Downey then anticipated the inbounds pass and made his fourth steal of the game and was fouled with 8.3 ticks on the clock.
He made just one of the free throws for a 73-71 lead. After UC used a foul with 6.2 seconds left, SU inbounded the ball to McNamara at halfcourt, where he took off left, went around his back to the right and split two defenders to make a running three-pointer.
The officials checked the replay and determined the shot was a three-pointer. UC got Muhammad the ball at halfcourt on the ensuing inbounds pass, and the senior's heave hit off the front of the rim as time expired.
White hit 5-of-10 three-pointers and all nine free throws to surpass his previous high of 25 points. Hicks had 17 points and 12 rebounds and Downey handed out nine assists. UC made just 6-of-24 from three as a team.
McNamara scored 17 for SU, but was just 1-of-8 from the field in the second half before the game-winner. Roberts had 16 points and nine rebounds and Watkins was 7-of-8 from the floor for a career-high 15 points.
The Bearcats, who entered the game ranked 10th in the nation in free throw percentage, made just 15-of-23. SU shot .455 from the field and 9-of-18 from three to overcome 21 turnovers and just seven free throw attempts.
Leading by five at halftime, the Orange ran out to a 14-point lead thanks to an 11-2 run. Roberts scored the first three baskets of the half and Watkins had a follow dunk to cap the run and give SU a 50-36 lead less than five minutes into the stanza.
White hit a pair of three-pointers sandwiched around a Hicks slam for UC's first field goals of the half to close within eight. Devendorf upped the lead back to 13 with a trey with 13:12 left, but UC held Syracuse to just a McNamara three-pointer over the next five minutes.
In that time, UC got contributions from five different players in an 11-3 run. White made a pair of free throws with 9:04 on the clock to pull to 60-56. Devendorf made a pair of driving baskets to keep the Bearcats at bay, setting up the final five minutes.
The opening 11 minutes of the game featured four ties and four lead changes and neither team held a lead of more than four points. Hicks and White had UC's first 13 points to counter eight by McNamara as the teams were tied, 19-19, with 9:05 left in the half.
The Orange transition game picked up the pace and produced an 11-2 run. Watkins scored five-straight points to close the rally and give SU a 30-21 edge with 6:18 on the clock.
White responded with a steal leading to a three-point play and hit a triple a minute later as UC kept pace. A Hicks' putback and Muhammad three cut the lead to 36-34 with two minutes left, but McNamara made a steal on an outlet pass and hit his third trey of the half with 27 seconds left for a 39-34 halftime lead for the Orange.
The teams shot a combined 45 percent from the field in the first half, but also committed 25 turnovers. The Orange were 5-of-9 from behind the arc and 15-of-31 from the field. McNamara had 11 points and four assists and Watkins had seven points, four rebounds and four blocks.
White led the Bearcats at the break with 13 points, two assists and two steals, and Hicks added 10 points and nine rebounds. Downey recorded four assist and three steals.