TNIAAM Roundtable: Our top games from the Syracuse-Georgetown rivalry

TNIAAM Roundtable: Our top games from the Syracuse-Georgetown rivalry

Tomorrow, the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team celebrates its rich history with the Georgetown Hoyas in the 100th all-time meeting between the teams. The rivalry has produced so many iconic moments and our staff will introduce you to each of our favorites.

Mike: 2006 Big East Tournament Semifinals

As Scranton’s representative in the room, I can’t do that not Pick one of the defining moments of Gerry McNamara’s career at Syracuse. With less than a minute to go and the Orange trailing by four, G-Mac puts the team in trouble again, shoots his fifth three-pointer of the evening, sets the ball on the other side and passes the game-winning pass to Eric Devendorf a simple layup.

SU would defeat Pitt the next day for their fifth and final Big East Tournament Championship.

Kevin: 1992 Big East tournament final

I’ll stick with MSG. It was my sophomore year and we had a weekend at the Dome in late February where the Orange indoor track team won its first and only Big East title over the Hoyas on Saturday, but Georgetown defeated Jim Boeheim’s team on Sunday. A few weeks later, Syracuse entered the Big East tournament on a two-game losing streak, but after defeating Villanova and Seton Hall, they set up a rematch with Georgetown in the title game.

Then Dave Johnson hit that game-winning win over Alonzo Mourning to give Syracuse the title.

Szuba: Syracuse over No. 9 Georgetown at home, 72-58 (2007)

It’s hard to beat classics like the 2006 and 2013 Big East tournament games, but I expect Syracuse to beat a top ten and eventual Final Four Georgetown team led by Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green . There are so many good games to choose from, but I’ll go with a deeper dive here since I attended this game as a freshman in high school.

This was a big Monday game on ESPN that had over 25,000 fans. Demetris Nichols had a big night and it was around this time that Andy Rautins moved into the starting lineup and began to seriously emerge as a shooter. Syracuse built a big lead in the second half and carried it through to snap an 11-game winning streak at Hoya. After being booed by fans at the start of the season, Darryl Watkins and Terrence Roberts got on the scoresheet and cheered the fans who stormed the pitch after the game.

This game was one that denied Georgetown the Big East regular season title and, more importantly, was expected to catapult Syracuse safely into the tournament. This was the infamous snub year in which the NCAA tournament selection committee seemingly forgot about a 22-10 Syracuse team.

Dom: Pearl Washington decides the game

Flashback to the middle of the 1985 season. Georgetown is ranked No. 1 in the AP poll and is preparing for a late January battle between Syracuse great Pearl Washington and the Orange. The Hoyas, led by senior center and future No. 1 pick Patrick Ewing and four future NBA players, have posted a 35-3 record (14-2 in the Big East) this year.

The game is known for the long-standing rivalry in which a Syracuse fan throws a literal orange onto the backboard while Ewing stands at the free throw line. The moment that isn’t even available as a separate clip on YouTube: With G-Town leading 63-62, Washington gets the inbounds on the left side of the field in front of a crowded Carrier Dome with about 15 seconds left and makes it pulls back and hits the game-winning mid-range shot. The fans stormed the court in no time and Syracuse earned its first win against the AP No. 1 team.

(Author’s Note: This full game is available on YouTube. Go to 15:04 to see the Orange hit the backboard and 1:18:35 to see one of the wildest playoffs in college basketball that has been completely lost to history.)

Honorable Mention: In 2010, No. 5 Syracuse at one point had a 23-point lead (60-37) with 12 minutes left in the second half against No. 10 Georgetown on the road. The Hoyas stormed all the way back and trailed with just a few minutes left, but the Orange held on. I still remember it being one of the first college basketball games that I can fully remember.

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What is your favorite moment from the rivalry?

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