Syracuse vs Connecticut Game Recap

Syracuse 72, Connecticut 67

The last time Syracuse and Connecticut met on a basketball court, a Big East officiating crew had to make some tough decisions. Then again, those decisions pertained to the game clock and were legally reviewable.

On Wednesday night in upstate New York, the reunion of these college basketball powerhouses created a controversy no replay monitor could solve.

Connecticut put forth a mighty effort on the road at a noisy Carrier Dome, and two teams played with considerable effort in a vigorous and spirited competition, but the only thing anyone will remember about this game is that an official - John Cahill by name - made a very dubious decision that prevented the Huskies from claiming the upset they so badly needed.

There were just under 40 seconds left in regulation time, in a game that was tied at 65. The UConn backcourt combo of Jerome Dyson - who threw down long threes with icy calm in the final minutes of the second half - and Kemba Walker - who nailed a number of rainbow jumpers against Syracuse's long 2-3 zone - had enabled the visitors to keep pace with the No. 3 team in the United States. With Syracuse in possession of the ball, just one stop separated the Huskies from a chance to grab the biggest win of their season and revive their flagging hopes of making the NCAA Tournament. Interim coach George Blaney - continuing to fill in for Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun - was on the verge of claiming a conquest that would have enabled Connecticut to dream about a prime spot in March Madness, with Calhoun possibly re-taking the reins at tournament time. The narrative was there, the possibility placed squarely in front of the Huskies. They had a more-than-legitimate shot at a crowning moment against Jim Boeheim's Big East-leading ballclub.

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But then John Cahill - wearer of the zebra stripes - stepped in and changed the trajectory of this tussle.

Just under the 40-second mark of regulation, Syracuse guard Scoop Jardine drove the ball to the basket after his teammate, forward Rick Jackson, corralled an offensive rebound. Jardine put up a shot that missed, but precisely when the Huskies gathered the loose ball, Cahill - standing in the trail official's position on the sideline in the backcourt - whistled the play dead. Boeheim evidently motioned to Cahill for the timeout, and the official, being just a few feet away, granted the timeout. The problem was that the whistle came late, well after Jardine had released his shot attempt.

The remaining 35 seconds unfolded in predictable fashion. Given a reprieve, the third-ranked Orange scored seven points at the foul line, with the key play being a missed three by Dyson when Syracuse led, 67-65, with 22 seconds left. When SU's Kris Joseph nailed two foul shots to give the home team a 71-67 lead with five ticks left on the clock, Connecticut's upset dreams were done and dashed.

UConn and Syracuse regularly play tense and thrilling basketball games, it seems. One only wishes that officiating controversy could exit this otherwise excellent college hoops rivalry.

By: Matt Zemek
BigEast-Fans.com Correspondent