Men's Basketball

Syracuse men’s basketball’s history against Connecticut at Madison Square Garden

Daily Orange File Photo

Syracuse and UConn have a storied history of games at Madison Square Garden. The most famous was the six-overtime game in 2009.

Longtime rivals Syracuse (5-2) and Connecticut (3-4) will meet for the 93rd time on Monday at 7 p.m. in Madison Square Garden. The two teams have faced off at the venue 13 times in the Big East tournament, the most famous of which being the 2009 six-overtime classic. Here’s a look back at the games from the two teams’ rich history in the Garden.

March 8, 2012

Syracuse 58, Connecticut 55

Then-No. 2 Syracuse slipped past Connecticut at Madison Square Garden, getting its 31st win against the Huskies. That tied a season record for Syracuse. The Orange moved on to face Cincinnati in the second round of the Big East tournament, when it lost, 71-68. Fab Melo missed the Big East tournament and largely left Dion Waiters to carry Syracuse. SU’s win was vacated by the NCAA.

March 11, 2011



Connecticut 76, Syracuse 71

Syracuse didn’t face Connecticut in the Big East tournament again until the two teams faced each other in 2011. For the second consecutive time in the tournament, the two teams went to overtime. This one just lasted one, however. Only three Syracuse players scored in double digits, including Rick Jackson, Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine. Waiters shot just 3-of-9 from the field.

March 12, 2009

Syracuse 127, Connecticut 117

Syracuse and Connecticut competed with each other for six overtimes in an instant classic. The Orange failed to lead in any of the first five overtimes. Four SU players — Paul Harris, Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins — played for 50 or more minutes in the game. Flynn scored 34 points and assisted on 11 baskets while Paul Harris scored 29 points and grabbed 22 rebounds. Devendorf nearly hit the game-winner at the end of regulation, but it was ruled not good on review.

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Daily Orange File Photo

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Daily Orange File Photo

March 7, 2007

Syracuse 78, Connecticut 65    

The Orange outscored Connecticut by 15 points in the second half to snag a 13-point win in the first round of the Big East tournament. It was SU’s eighth straight tournament win. Nineteen of Demetris Nichols’ 28 points came in the second half. Devendorf was the first-half workhorse, scoring 15 in the opening frame. SU shot 50 percent from the field 3-point range in the second.

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Daily Orange File Photo

March 9, 2006

Syracuse 86, Connecticut 84

Syracuse knocked off No. 1 Connecticut, 86-84, in the first round of the Big East tournament, marking just the second time in school history that the Orange beat the No. 1 ranked team in the country. SU never trailed in the game until Rashad Anderson drilled a 3 with 33 seconds left in regulation to put the Huskies up 72-71. SU’s Gerry McNamara sunk a 3 with 5.6 seconds remaining to tie the game at 74. Watkins converted on a three-point play in overtime to give SU a 79-78 lead that it would not give up. (SU’s win was vacated by the NCAA.)

March 11, 2005

Syracuse 67, Connecticut 63

Warrick’s 26 points and 10 rebounds were enough to lead the Orange past the Huskies, 67-63, in the semifinal of the Big East tournament. Syracuse advanced to the conference title game for the first time since 1998 and went on to win its first conference title since 1992. UConn had won the last three semifinal meetings with Syracuse.

March 13, 2003

Connecticut 80, Syracuse 67

Conference rookie of the year Carmelo Anthony had 29 points and 15 rebounds for the No. 11 Orangemen (24-5), who had won eight straight games. Anthony’s effort wasn’t enough as UConn reached the Big East tournament championship game for the fifth time in six years behind freshman Rashad Anderson’s 21 points and a 44 point second-half charge. After the loss to UConn, though, SU won six straight to capture the program’s lone national title.

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Daily Orange File Photo

March 7, 2001

Syracuse 86, Connecticut 75

The No. 17 Orangemen knocked off the Huskies in the first round victory thanks to Preston Shumpert’s 31-point showing. SU then beat Providence in the second round before a one-point overtime loss to Pittsburgh the next day. In the NCAA tournament round of 32, the Orangemen lost to Kansas, 87-58, for their worst loss ever in the tournament.

March 5, 1999

Connecticut 71, Syracuse 50

The team’s third meeting in a 35-day span, this Big East semifinal tilt rematch of the prior year’s title game quickly turned into a blowout. Future Detroit Pistons star Richard Hamilton helped UConn expand on an 11-point halftime lead to seal the win. The Huskies, who beat St. John’s in the title game for its second straight and fourth overall Big East crown, won their final 11 games of the year en route to capturing the NCAA title.

March 7, 1998

Connecticut 69, Syracuse 64

Coming off a disappointing NIT season, SU started Big East play 11-1. The Orangemen beat Villanova and a Ron Artest-led St. John’s unit in overtime to earn a date with UConn in the Big East title game, a clash of the No. 1 seed Huskies and No. 2 seed Orangemen. UConn, which had already beaten SU by nine in the Carrier Dome earlier in the year, proved to be too much in grabbing its third-ever Big East title despite facing a deficit with five minutes to go.

March 8, 1996

Connecticut 85, Syracuse 67

After winning two games in as many days, Syracuse ran into a Connecticut team that eventually won its second conference title. John Wallace’s 19 points weren’t enough for the No. 4 seed Orange to come close against No. 1 Connecticut. SU eventually went all the way to the national championship game before losing to Kentucky.

March 11, 1990

Connecticut 78, Syracuse 75

For the first time, Syracuse and Connecticut met in the Big East championship. After tying for the best regular season conference record, the Orange was awarded the No. 1 seed in the tournament based on tiebreakers. When the two squads met in the final, only three points separated them. Stephen Thompson led SU with 21 points in the loss. UConn’s Chris Smith was named tournament MVP. Syracuse went on to lose in the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed.

March 8, 1984

Syracuse 73, Connecticut 58

In Syracuse’s first matchup against UConn in the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden, the Orange won by 15. Rafael Addison led SU with 31 points. The Orange swept the season series against Connecticut, winning all three matchups. Syracuse went on to lose to Georgetown in the Big East championship game two days later. The Orange earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and reached the Sweet 16.





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