New York, NY (My Sportsbook) - Terrence Williams filled the stat sheet with 11 points, seven rebounds, six assists and seven steals, as the fifth- ranked Louisville Cardinals picked up the program's first Big East Tournament title with a hard-fought 76-66 victory over No. 18 Syracuse, capping another unforgettable week at Madison Square Garden.
After following up its first-ever Big East regular season title with three straight double-digit wins against NCAA Tournament-worthy programs, Louisville (28-5) all but solidified its case for a No. 1 seed in the upcoming "Big Dance" with its 10th straight win following a season-changing 33-point loss at Notre Dame.
"We've been [in the Big East Tournament] three years in a row and got sent home early every time, so everybody says we can't play well in the Garden," Williams said. "So [to] come here and prove that wrong and say we're in the toughest league... and finally be able to hold that trophy and be part of the history of the Big East, it means a lot for us."
Samardo Samuels notched a team-high 15 points, while Earl Clark and Preston Knowles contributed to the balanced scoring attack with 13 and 12 points, respectively, for the Cardinals, who overcame an eight-point halftime deficit for the second time in as many days.
The Orange (26-9) had their work cut out for them after a memorable week that saw them knock off Connecticut in an epic six-overtime thriller in the quarterfinals. The sixth seed also needed an extra five minutes on Friday to upend a hot West Virginia team, but their seven-game winning streak came to an end after being outscored 46-28 in the second half of the title game.
Eric Devendorf netted a game-high 20 points, while Jonny Flynn, named the tournament MVP after logging 181 total minutes in four bouts during the week, notched 11 points and six assists in the setback.
"I'd like to play about two weeks from today," Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim jokingly said when asked about his team's upcoming NCAA Tournament schedule. "We were fine tonight in the first half...If we got a little tired, we might have gotten a little tired. We'll be fine whether we play Thursday or Friday [next week]. It doesn't matter."
Devendorf's fastbreak layup and three-pointer highlighted Syracuse's 13-2 run to end the first half, as Andy Rautins' trey gave the Orange a 38-30 cushion at the break.
The Cardinals also faced an eight-point deficit in the semifinals against Villanova, and much like that contest, the top seed came out of the locker room with purpose.
After cutting the difference to six, Jerry Smith and Andre McGee sank back-to- back three-pointers to tie things just 2 1/2 minutes into the half.
"At halftime we said, look, [the comeback's] not going to happen in a matter of a minute or two like last night, but it did. We got a great run," Louisville head coach Rick Pitino said.
Samuels and Syracuse's Rick Jackson then exchanged buckets before Louisville scored eight straight, as Clark's three-ball yielded a 51-43 edge with 14 minutes to play.
Williams answered a pair of Syracuse buckets with consecutive three-pointers for a ten-point lead, and the Cardinals played comfortably in front from that point on.
Flynn's layup got the Orange as close as 69-62 with 2:22 to play. After exchanging free throws, McGee sank 1-of-2 from the stripe for an eight-point cushion.
Williams then came up with a steal and tossed an outlet pass to Clark, whose slam put the finishing touches on Louisville's remarkable finish to arguably the best conference in the country.
"It's non-stop," Flynn said of Louisville's defense. "To put it so you can understand it, it's like being chased by eight pit bulls and [you] just have to keep running for your life. Rick Pitino does a great job of rotating fresh bodies in and you just don't have a chance to stop."
Game Notes
Syracuse failed in picking up its sixth Big East Tournament title and record- breaking 46th tourney win...This was Louisville's first conference title since taking the Conference USA crown in 2005...Louisville holds a 10-4 lead in the all-time series against Syracuse, including winning the last four meetings...McGee and Smith each netted 10 points for Louisville...Rautins hit just 2-of-11 from the field for six points in the loss...Syracuse made just 7-of-14 from the foul line, where the Cardinals made 14-of-21...Clark also had 10 rebounds...Devendorf's 84 points in the tourney broke the record of 81 points set by UConn's Ben Gordon back in 2004, though Gordon accomplished his feat in one fewer game.
