BIG EAST TOURNAMENT

No number one seed has ever lost its opening round conference tournament game and won the national championship in the same season. This factoid made the members of the third-ranked and top-seeded Syracuse Orange cringe as they left Madison Square Garden on Thursday. Syracuse was upset by the Georgetown Hoyas, who had already lost to the Orange twice this season, by a 91-84 final score in the opening game of the Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinals.

The Orange, looking for a Big East Tournament run to both solidify their status as a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament and to move up in the ranks amongst the top seeds themselves, saw their first action of the tournament after receiving a double-bye for the first two rounds. Since the introduction of the new format, in which all 16 teams are invited to the tournament and the top four seeds are not in action for the first two rounds, many have questioned if the excessive rest would be problematic for the top seeds. A season ago, the top four seeds were 2-2 in the quarterfinals.

The Orange led 40-37 at intermission, a product of their inconsistency after 11 turnovers resulted in 16 Georgetown points. Following a solid performance against South Florida in the second round on Wednesday, Hoya star Greg Monroe was held to only four points in the first 20 minutes. It was after the break that Georgetown, looking to avoid losing to Syracuse for the third time this season, took control for good. Midway through the half, the Hoyas completed an 11-0 run, assisted by four Syracuse turnovers. The lead would eventually reach nine at 70-61. By the four-minute mark, Syracuse pulled back to within two but Georgetown would not be denied, protecting its lead with dominant inside play to keep the game out of reach.