Syracuse Outlasts Georgetown In Overtime, Orange Play For Big East Tourney Title In Final Conference Game

The Syracuse Orange have a chance to leave the Big East as tournament champions.

'Cuse was able to overcome Georgetown for the first time in three attempts this season, 58-55 in overtime, to punch their ticket to the 2013 conference title game after getting smoked 61-39 by the Hoyas just six days ago - the worst loss of the season for the nineteenth-ranked Orange.

Jim Boeheim got 13 points apiece from James Southerland, Brandon Triche and Baye Moussa Keita as Syracuse improved to 7-7 all-time against the Hoyas in the Big East tourney - how fitting it would end that way?

While Southerland poured in four more 3-pointers, it was Keita who took-on the Mr. Everything role: a personal best 7-7 of from the free thrown line (including some clutch foul shots down the stretch), eight rebounds and a combination of hustle plays and defense.

C.J. Fair (6 points) shot just 3-16 from the field but had the loudest play of the night, driving past and over Hoyas for a one handed dunk to give the Orange a 57-53 lead with 2:04 to play in OT.

Michael Carter Williams struggled as well with just three points on 1-7 shooting to go along with six turnovers, with six assists and five boards.

Georgetown, ranked fifth nationally, trailed by eleven with 11:30 to play in regulation, but fought all the way back to tie the game with under two-minutes in regulation, and knotting it again at 51-51 with seven seconds to play on a pair of Otto Porter Jr free throws.

Carter Williams raced down the floor and badly misfired on a game winning attempt, just inside the 3-point line, sending it to extra time.

Michael Hopkins scored 15 for the Hoyas (25-6, 14-4 Big East), Markel Starks had 13 and Porter Jr. added a dozen.

Syracuse (26-8, 11-7 Big East) will play the winner of Notre Dame - Louisville, looking for their sixth Big East Tournament crown, before exiting for the ACC next season.