SYRACUSE 95, TEXAS 84: The Big East's Orangemen return to the final for first time since 1996.
By BRIAN LANDMAN
Published April 6, 2003
NEW ORLEANS - No matter what the pundits thought, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said forward Carmelo Anthony, a second-team All-America selection, played like a first-teamer.
"Nobody wants to vote for a freshman," he said.
Is it too late for a recount?
Anthony scored a career-high 33 and had a game-high 14 rebounds as the Orangemen beat Texas 95-84 at the Superdome on Saturday to advance to the championship game against Kansas on Monday.
"I'm not satisfied with my game," Anthony said.
Not yet anyway. He wants to be first where it counts the most and can be as he and the Orangemen (29-5) look to win their first title in three tries. They lost to Indiana in 1987, also here at the Superdome, and then to Kentucky in 1996.
Texas (26-7), the only No. 1 seed to reach the Final Four, became the third Big 12 Conference team to lose to Syracuse in the tournament. Syracuse also beat Oklahoma State in the second round and then top-seeded Oklahoma in the East Region final. Now it has a fourth.
But the Orangemen won those games primarily with their vaunted 2-3 zone defense. They had held their first four NCAA Tournament opponents to just 36.3 percent shooting and an average of 61.5 points.
"So much for the 2-3 zone," Boeheim said jokingly. "I knew it would be an offensive game. Texas can score points against any defense. We haven't really been sharp on offense in the tournament and tonight we were right from the beginning."
That started, as it has all season, with his star freshman. Anthony scored 16 and sophomore forward Hakim Warrick and freshman guard Gerry McNamara each had 10 as the Orangemen shot 54.8 percent in the first half.
Yet they were clinging to a 48-45 lead.
Even with dazzling sophomore point guard T.J. Ford, a first-team All-American and the Naismith player of the year, in foul trouble and limited to 14 minutes, he and teammates effectively attacked the zone and shot 50 percent from the field. Junior guard Brandon Mouton hit 7 of 15 shots, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, for 20 points.
"The defense picked up a little bit in the second half, but it was really our offense," Boeheim said.
Again, that began with Anthony.
He scored his team's first nine of the half, but after four lead changes and a tie, Texas took a 61-59 edge on a Mouton 3-pointer with 12:11 left. The Orangemen answered with a 13-2 run behind McNamara, sophomore guard Josh Pace and Warrick to match their largest lead.
"Every point they score you can almost attribute to Carmelo when he's in the game because he makes you help, he makes you rotate," Texas coach Rick Barnes said. "If you don't get all five guys rotating the way they need to, they're going to come up with something. Tonight, every time they needed to make a big play, they made it.
Moments later, Anthony helped pushed the lead to 12 (78-66) with back-to-back baskets.
"That's probably the hardest defensive job I've had since I've been in college," said Texas junior guard Royal Ivey, who typically draws the opponent's top scoring threat and had Anthony on this night. "He's 6-8. He's explosive, strong. He shoots over you, drives on you, spin move. Everything. It's tough. He's a great player."
The Longhorns weren't done. Junior forward Brian Boddicker's 3-pointer capped a 9-2 run that brought the Longhorns to within 80-75 with 3:46 left. But McNamara hit four free throws and Anthony sealed the win with a breakaway layup after a steal with 40 seconds to go.
[Last modified April 6, 2003, 01:16:49]
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