6:55 p.m. March 8 – NEW YORK – If it’s true that Syracuse needed to win one in New York, the mission was accomplished. But if there was any lingering hope that SU would win the Big East tournament three years in a row, the hope faded when No. 20 Notre Dame’s Rob Kurz and Colin Falls both hit 3-pointers within 37 seconds of each other late in Thursday’s game.

Notre Dame’s second-half shooting – especially from the 3-point line – plagued the Orange in an 89-83 loss in the Big East tournament quarterfinals, knocking SU out and handing the Orange its first loss in nine straight Big East games. It was the last game for the Orange (22-10, 10-6) before the NCAA Tournament field is announced on Sunday.

Losing to a top 25 team won’t hurt Syracuse, although it won’t help the Orange either. Now it’s just a waiting game for SU, making sure it’s in the Tournament, finding out what seed and whom it’s playing.

When Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim was asked about the team’s position going into the Tournament, the uninterested coach didn’t look up.

‘No idea,’ Boeheim said.

He did have an idea, though, on how the Orange lost.

‘I thought we just were not as active defensively in the second half,’ Boeheim said. ‘We had to shoot the ball a little bit better today, and we didn’t.’

Both Syracuse and Notre Dame (24-6, 11-5) know their fates hinge on the 3-point shot. SU hit only five 3-pointers. Notre Dame hit 13. That’s a 24-point difference.

‘We’ll trade some of our 3’s for your 2’s through the game because that’s been our philosophy,’ Notre Dame head Mike Brey said.

‘They have been doing the same thing against us for the last eight years,’ Boeheim said.

SU’s two best 3-point shooters, Demetris Nichols and Andy Rautins, were a combined 4-for-15 from 3-point range. Nichols finished with 17 points in the game, while Rautins finished with just one 3-pointer.

On the other side, Falls hit 7-of-17 3-pointers and a pair of free throws for 23 points. Fellow senior Russell Carter had 24 points, including four 3-pointers.

Both Syracuse and Notre Dame played the 2-3 zone. ND excelled against SU’s zone, although the Orange struggled against Notre Dame’s. It was odd, considering SU plays against the zone in practice everyday, although it seldom plays against the 2-3 in games.

‘We didn’t it very well, and I thought that was the difference in the game,’ Boeheim said. ‘They got back in the game playing a zone, which nobody has ever been able to play zone against us this year.’

The free-throw line was another place SU struggled. Notre Dame converted on 84.6 percent of its free throws while SU hit just 55.2 percent.

‘There’s nothing I can do about missing free throws,’ Boeheim said. ‘Obviously you can’t miss 13 free throws in a close game in a tournament.’

But the fact that it was a close game is something of an accomplishment, considering its worst game of the season was a 103-91 loss to the Irish on Jan. 30. In that game, Notre Dame built its lead with 61 first-half points, including 10 3-pointers. On Thursday, SU had an eight-point first-half lead and two-point halftime lead. Then the Irish scored 57 second-half points, including 13 3-pointers.

Notre Dame’s looks in the second half were often open, possibly a product of fatigue, but certainly something SU knew was coming.

‘We have to close out on their shooters,’ freshman Paul Harris said. Because both Syracuse and Notre Dame attempted a lot of 3-pointers, there were a lot of rebounds to go around. SU was on the right side of that tally. Senior Terrence Roberts had a career-high 20 rebounds to go along with 10 points. Harris had 24 points and 15 rebounds, both career highs.

‘I don’t think I’ve ever had 20 rebounds,’ Roberts said.

SU’s other key rebounder, senior center Darryl Watkins, fouled out for the eighth time this year. Because SU lacks frontcourt depth, it bumped Harris down to the paint, where he filled in admirably.

‘When Mookie’s out, we go a little smaller,’ Harris said. ‘Sometimes it’s hard to go out there and try to play a perfect game, so I go out there, once I get in, and try to make something happen. A high rebound, a good pass. That way, I don’t come out.’

But pointing at the rebounding is just finding silver lining a loss. Although even with the loss, Syracuse accomplished what it likely had to in New York. It enters Selection Sunday winners of six of its last eight games. It has some good wins and an experienced team, but the NCAA Tournament experience includes first-round exits the past two seasons.

This season’s team has proven it can win big games, but it’s also been prone to have a few duds mixed in. Those games usually happen when Syracuse shoots the way it did Thursday.

‘We’re confident,’ Roberts said. ‘We just have to finish guys off when we get big leads. That’s all.’

Published on March 13, 2007 at 12:00 pm