Women’s basketball isn’t something Syracuse fans tend to pay much attention to on this campus, and to their defense, they haven’t been given much of a reason.

Until last night.

Quentin Hillsman is doing something to the Syracuse women’s basketball team, something that Keith Cieplicki could never do, and Marianna Freeman couldn’t either. And the fact that many of you likely don’t know those names (they are the two head coaches before Hillsman) is an indication of such.

Hillsman is making women’s basketball matter, or at least is in the process of doing so. He helped them win 14 of their first 16 games heading into last night’s near-upset over No. 1 Connecticut.

Yet college sports have a quasi caste system that places programs on different tiers. In women’s basketball, UConn is at the top. The Huskies won five championships since 1995, and their coach, Geno Auriemma, is to women’s basketball coaches what Frank Lloyd Wright was to architects; he’s better than the rest, and he acts like it.

So last night, despite the fact that Hillsman has brought the Orange into the women’s basketball consciousness, he was faced with the most trying and telling test of his short tenure: taking on Auriemma and UConn. It’s like a comedian who does cruise ships and banquet halls; that’s all well and good, but until he headlines in Vegas, he’s not a headliner.

This was Hillsman’s chance. This was Syracuse’s chance. And they made the most of it.

Syracuse did not beat UConn, but it made a statement to the Huskies, to the nation and to the fans on this campus that never embraced the women’s team. SU played like it belonged, with an underdog confidence in which even though they were outmatched, they were not going to be outplayed. In last night’s game, the ranking did not matter, the history did not matter and the number of McDonald’s All-Americans did not matter. And it seemed the only people who weren’t surprised by this were those in the Syracuse locker room.

‘I always thought talent-wise, we were very talented,’ Hillsman said.

‘I feel we can play with anyone,’ sophomore Nicole Michael said.

Hillsman said he does not believe in moral victories, nor should he believe in them. A moral victory won’t settle a tie to enter the Big East tournament in March or put the Orange in the NCAA Tournament. But that doesn’t mean last night’s game won’t positively affect Syracuse’s confidence. Anyone who does not believe that hasn’t seen the New York Giants since their near-upset over the New England Patriots.

‘A lot of people were doubting the team and wondering whether we can compete at the top level,’ freshman Erica Morrow said. ‘But UConn’s the top team in the nation. Like coach said, no moral victories. But we’re going to face some top opponents, and now we know we can compete against the top teams in the country.’

The ‘no moral victories’ comments all relate to the tangible effect. But consider the intangible effect. Last night’s game will raise the profile of the team in the eyes of Syracuse fans who never embraced women’s basketball despite the move to the Carrier Dome.

There was a buzz in the Dome, identifiable to anyone who has ever sat through an important basketball game or a close football game in the facility. It was genuine interest that would appeal to the casual fan as much as the niche audience that usually fills the seats. There were only 4,221 fans at last night’s game, although that’s 10 percent more than the previous record of 3,779 when Syracuse last hosted the Huskies.

‘If we continue to get this support, I don’t know how we can lose any games here,’ Hillsman said. ‘Now I know how it is at home, when there is a big crowd.’

Hillsman greeted a first-half timeout by punching the air in celebration. Daryl Gross, the athletic director who had the instinct to name Hillsman the interim head coach and the wherewithal to remove the interim tag, stood with his hands raised at his courtside seat like the big spenders he lures to those seats for the men’s games.

The men’s players, who showed a genuine interest in watching their counterparts, were on the edge of their seats for every Syracuse possession. They cheered on the team, grasped their faces after questionable calls and supported Hillsman a few feet away. ‘Yeeaah Q!’ often rained from the men’s corner. Women’s guard Tasha Harris came over to high-five men’s guard Paul Harris [ITALICS]during[/ITALICS] the game. Hillsman did the same!

With 1:03 left and Syracuse trailing by two points, Donte Greene turned to Jonny Flynn.

‘Student section? Yo, let’s go to the student section,’ Greene said to his fellow freshman. So they did. They went and pepped up the already pepped-up crowd and cheered with the students who will cheer them tonight.

A student section at a women’s basketball game?

Told you things are changing.

Zach Berman is the featured sports columnist for The Daily Orange, where his columns will appear weekly. E-mail him at [email protected].

Published on January 15, 2008 at 12:00 pm