JIM BOEHEIM / JIM CALHOUN PRESS CONFERENCE
NEW YORK (AP) — Syracuse and Connecticut played a game for the ages Thursday night and into early Friday. When it was over, everybody in Madison Square Garden was exhausted and, except for the losing team, exhilarated.
Telling someone that No. 18 Syracuse beat No. 3 Connecticut 127-117 in six overtimes in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament is equivalent to saying there’s a star in the sky.
There’s more, so much more.
“I’ve got no words,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said when asked to describe the second-longest Division I game ever. “I’ve never been prouder of any team I’ve coached.”
In Friday’s semifinals, Syracuse will play West Virginia, which upset Pitt behind tremendous play from local players Devin Ebanks and Da’Sean Butler. Read about it here.
COACHES VS. CANCER CLASSIC
And speaking of Syracuse, the Orange, North Carolina, California and Ohio State will tipoff next season in the 2009 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Madison Square Garden. The 2009 tournament will include a 12-team field with games at four regional sites (Syracuse, North Carolina, California and Ohio State) between November 9-13. Championship Round games will be played on November 19 & 20.