Rivalry redux: Orange, Hoyas meet again

NEW YORK — Andy Rautins remembers the longest day in his basketball career as "one of the most exhilarating and at the same time exhausting 24 hours anyone could ever imagine."

Rautins, Syracuse's do-everything senior guard, was a participant in the longest game in the history of the Big East Conference tournament a year ago Friday, SU's 127-117 six-overtime marathon win over Connecticut in the quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden.

In that game, Rautins was on the court for 49 of the 70 minutes, scoring 20 points, including a 3-pointer to start the sixth overtime that gave the Orange the lead for good.

Rautins and the top-seeded Orange are back on the MSG court again today for their quarterfinal matchup with No. 8 Georgetown. But to this day, Rautins can pinpoint almost every second of last year's game, and the emotions it still evokes.

"I remember asking Jonny (Flynn) if he was tired before the sixth overtime began," Rautins said. "He just gave me that electric smile and said, 'This one is ours."'

Flynn played all but three minutes, scoring 34 points and going 16-for-16 at the foul line.

Rautins said he didn't have time to be tired because the overtimes kept coming so fast. "But when I got back to the hotel, I just collapsed," he said. "I could have slept for a week."

But he couldn't because SU had another game that day, which it won in overtime against West Virginia. The Orange finally ran out of gas against Louisville in the championship game.

But for the participants, which also included current SU players Arinze Onuaku (39 minutes), Rick Jackson (29 minutes) and Kris Joseph (14 minutes), that game will forever be etched in their collective memories.

"It came down to more of a mental test than a physical test," said Onuaku, who scored only eight points. "You had to keep telling yourself you weren't tired, and just keep going."

Said Jackson, who scored 10 points, "I remember most Jonny, Eric (Devendorf, 22 points in 61 minutes) and Paul (Harris, 29 points in 56 minutes) just going on adrenaline. They could barely get up off their chairs before that final overtime started, but you would never know it. Their stamina was amazing."

SU assistant coach Mike Hopkins also was a front-and-center witness to that memorable game, which has spawned numerous T-shirts, a CD and its own Web site (sixovertime.com). Hopkins said he's watched the tape several times and still can't believe his eyes.

"For those guys, on both teams, to still be playing at such a high level after nearly four hours was incredible," Hopkins said. "Talk about guts and heart. I can't think of another game I've played in coached or watched that can even compare to that one."

When SU returned to the Garden last fall when it won the 2K Sports Coaches Vs. Cancer Tournament with wins over California and North Carolina, Rautins went back to the same spot he drilled that key three and missed it four times in a row in pregame warm-ups.

"It was such an eerie feeling, especially with almost nobody in the stands," he said. "But I actually made a couple from right there against North Carolina, and it still felt amazing."

All of the players involved in that game said this year's Big East Tournament won't carry any extra meaning.

"It's the Big East Tournament, and you get pumped for it no matter how you did the year before," Rautins said. "I'm sure we'll give it a thought or two when they are announcing our names, but that's about it."

And with long-time Big East rival Georgetown providing the opposition today, no extra motivation is needed. The Orange and Hoyas have met 12 times previously in the quarterfinals, the most of any matchup, with each team winning six.

"What we did last year has absolutely nothing to do with this year," Jackson said. "This time has established its own identity, and we want to add a tournament championship to our trophy case."

Georgetown star Greg Monroe said he also watched that game, saying, "I couldn't imagine playing that long. I'm sure Syracuse has some wonderful memories and Connecticut some nightmares. All I know is we have another game (today) and Syracuse already beat us twice. Hopefully, we won't need overtime."