FALLING DOWN: Brandon Triche falls to the court while fighting for a loose ball with Louisville’s Gorgui Dieng duing Syracuse’s 78-61 loss to the Cardinals in the Big East championship game last night at the Garden. (AP)
THAT’S NOT FAIR: Louisville Cardinals Wayne Blackshear and Syracuse Orange C.J. Fair fight for a rebound in the first half of Syracuse’s 78-61 loss to the Cardinals in the Big East title game. (UPI)
GOTTA HURT: Michael Carter-Williams bends down in pain after drawing contact during Syracuse’s 78-61 loss. (Getty Images)
Though potential No. 1 seeds and conference favorites flopped on their faces from coast to coast this weekend, Louisville arrived in their coach’s hometown as jovial as a St. Patrick’s Day reveler.
Peyton Siva flashed donkey ears over a teammate’s head during a TV interview.
Former President Bill Clinton partied in the Cardinals locker room after a quarterfinal round win over Villanova.
What a fun-loving, easy-going group of Cardinals. Until their coach, native New Yorker Rick Pitino, tells them in King’s English it’s time play defense.
“If I swear they would have heard a lot of cuss words,’’ the Louisville coach said. “Thank God I don’t swear.’’
Down by 16 to Syracuse early in the second half of last night’s Big East Tournament championship, Louisville turned in a defensive performance that was so aggressive and frightening Hitchcock screamed, “Cut!”
Louisville unleashed a 29-4 run over a 7 1/2-minute span, the likes of which never has been seen in the 34-year history of this tournament. It turned a 45-29 deficit into a 58-49 lead and propelled the Cardinals to a 78-61 triumph.
“I think they’re the best pressing team in the country,’’ Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said.
It was city defense. Pitino defense. Chain-link fence defense. No blood, no foul defense. Ninety-four feet defense.
The stats don’t do it justice. Syracuse led by 13 at the break and lost by 17, the largest turnaround in Big East championship game history. Louisville held Syracuse without a field goal for 11-plus minutes, becoming the first team since Syracuse in 2005-06 to repeat as tournament champs.
Despite enjoying an overwhelming home crowd in the Garden, Syracuse, playing in its final Big East Tournament before — as John Thompson III said — heading down to Tobacco Road to join the ACC, couldn’t find cover.
Peyton Siva, who had 11 points, eight assists and four steals, became the only player other than Patrick Ewing to win two Dave Gavitt Most Outstanding player trophies.
Louisville (29-5), also playing in its last Big East Tournament, will be a No. 1 seed, if not the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Syracuse (25-9) regained some confidence by winning its first three games here but it failed to win its sixth tourney title.
The Orange seemed completely in control at 45-29. Bayside’s James Southerland and C.J. Fair were raining 3’s. Brandon Triche and Michael Carter-Williams were handling the Louisville pressure. And Cuse fans were enjoying their final Garden party.
But Louisville’s depth and tenacity makes the Cardinals a 40-minute threat. When Syracuse committed a 35-second clock violation with 11:56 left, it was obvious, despite a 47-41 lead, Syracuse was cracking.
The final crack came with 9:09 left. Carter-Williams, after lobbying ref John Cahill to no avail, was called for a flagrant 1 personal foul for swinging an elbow at Luke Hancock. Hancock converted both free throws and Louisville led 53-48.
All that was left was the frustration. With about four minutes to go, Boeheim all but demanded to be called for a technical foul. He didn’t get it and Syracuse didn’t get one last Big East title.
Asked his thoughts about never playing in this tournament again, Boeheim said, “Just how badly we handled their pressure was the only thing I was thinking about.’’