NEW YORK – Gerry McNamara isn’t healthy; hasn’t been for a while. Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim described it as playing on a ‘half a leg.’ McNamara wouldn’t specify – could be the charley horse he suffered on Feb. 1 – but it’s suddenly an issue now because the Big East tournament requires back-to-back games. So SU assistant coach Mike Hopkins told McNamara before Thursday’s game against Connecticut to pick his spots.

Trailing in the final seconds would qualify. This is McNamara after all. And actually, the No. 1 team in the country actually made it one of the easiest clutch shots of No. 3’s career.

One day after splitting two defenders to defeat Cincinnati with a running 3-pointer, UConn’s Rashad Anderson allowed McNamara to pull up cleanly from beyond the NBA’s 23.9-foot 3-point line. The swish sent the game into overtime and allowed Syracuse to win a game it had most of the way.

The 86-84 victory over No. 1 Connecticut in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament on Thursday virtually cinches Syracuse (21-11, 7-9 Big East) a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Boeheim said the victory was one of the best in the history of the program.

‘I’ve only been here, though, 44 years, so I don’t know,’ said Boeheim, who started his press conference with a brief apology for his expletive-laced rant following Wednesday’s first round win over Cincinnati.

Now only two wins from a second straight tournament title, Syracuse faces No. 23 Georgetown on Friday at 7 p.m. in the semifinals at Madison Square Garden. The Hoyas beat the Orange, 68-53, in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 25. Fifth-seeded Georgetown (21-8, 10-6) held off fourth-seeded Marquette, 62-59, in the quaterfinal match following SU’s win.

But the Orange could be favored after playing its most complete game of the season. Syracuse’s five starters all scored in double figures for the second consecutive game after never recording the feat during the regular season. The 2-3 zone held UConn (27-3, 14-2) to a 30.3 shooting percentage. Only a 28-of-31 mark from the free throw line kept the Huskies within a reasonable distance.

Once UConn threatened to win and McNamara buried his 3, Syracuse took control right back with a 7-0 run in overtime. Even then, the game wasn’t decided until UConn’s Marcus Williams missed a jumper in the lane as time expired.

‘We caught Connecticut a little down and got out,’ Boeheim said. ‘But when they caught us, we kept going. We’d get going. They caught us three or four times. Usually, when that happens, you kind of go away a little bit, but these guys wouldn’t go away.’

Though the Huskies tied the score at 65-65 with 5:09 remaining following a 9-0 run, they didn’t take their first lead until Anderson hit a 3-pointer 32.1 seconds remaining. After a failed runner by SU’s Josh Wright, UConn’s Denham Brown made two free throws for a 74-71 advantage.

During the following timeout, Boeheim designed a play for McNamara to kick out to someone else. The coach didn’t think the Huskies would allow McNamara, who scored a team-high-tying 17 points, to pick his spot.

‘They’re not going to let you shoot it,’ Boeheim told him. ‘But if they do, shoot it.’

McNamara said he thought he was so open because Anderson didn’t think he would shoot that early or from NBA range. The senior risked taking the bomb despite his injury, which he addressed for the first time on Thursday.

‘Well, I had an injury earlier this season,’ McNamara said, not specifying nor making a statement regarding future games. ‘It kind of lingered with the groin. But it’s been easier for me to play during the regular season because of breaks.’

His injury may have been a blessing in disguise for SU’s offense. UConn has long played McNamara the toughest throughout his career – witness a 16-for-75 mark from downtown entering the game – and his limited abilities forced him to become a feeder. The senior finished with 13 assists, 10 of which came in the first half.

‘They’ve played great on me,’ said McNamara, whose woes continued with a 3-of-14 mark from the field. ‘They’ve been there on every catch, they hedge me on ball screens. I’ve had a difficult time. In the first half I just tried to get everyone involved and it worked.’

Demetris Nichols tied McNamara with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, his best game since midseason. Terrence Roberts scored 16 for the second straight game before fouling out with 5:09 left in regulation. Watkins had 14 – including 4-of-4 on free throws for the 51 percent shooter from the line – and Devendorf 13.

But the difference was also SU’s defense. UConn’s shots were off from the start. In the second half, Williams, who finished with 17 points, was forced to create off the dribble on many possessions. Rudy Gay, who many project to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, scored only 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting. Brown led UConn with 20 points.

It was the second consecutive season SU has upset UConn in the Big East tournament after losing both games to the Huskies during the regular season. Boeheim joked he wanted all of next season’s games against UConn scheduled at Madison Square Garden.

But wisecracks aside, Syracuse is now probably headed to the NCAA tournament after spending the last several weeks on the outside looking in according to most projections. Playing one of its only all-around games of the season to beat the No. 1 team in the country will do that for a team.

‘I said yesterday’s shot under the circumstances was the most important,’ McNamara said. ‘But I have to change that to today.’

Published on March 13, 2006 at 12:00 pm