HARTFORD, Conn. –– There was no choice but to celebrate for Syracuse assistant coaches Lazarus Sims and Mike Hopkins. Emphatic chest bumps for each of Syracuse’s five on-court players were warranted.

With a first-half buzzer-beating Rick Jackson hook shot, SU held its first lead in 133 minutes and 44 game seconds, up one over Connecticut. And to Syracuse’s leading scorer on the night, sophomore guard Brandon Triche, euphoria ensued.

‘It’s like we won the Big East tournament,’ Triche said of the feeling at halftime. ‘Sixteen days — a long time of not winning. And just to have that feeling again is remarkable.’

Sims and Hopkins knew what one bucket could mean for a team in a four-game funk: everything. Like flicking the XL Center lights off on the wealth of momentum the Huskies had.

Syracuse never looked back. SU played an entire second half without relinquishing the lead. With it, what was a reeling No. 17 Syracuse (19-4, 6-4 Big East) entered back into national discussion, taking a 66-58 win from the No. 6 Huskies (17-4, 5-4) in front of 16,294 at the XL Center.

Not since the 13:44 mark of the first half in SU’s loss to Villanova three games prior had SU led. In that time, SU pushed its losing streak to four games, teetering on something Orange head coach Jim Boeheim never experienced in 35 years: a five-game losing streak.

Sims and Hopkins only experienced a four-game losing streak once, combined, in their playing days with the Orange spanning 1989-96. In 1992, Hopkins and Boeheim lost four games in a row. With a win over Boston College then, SU resurfaced.

With Jackson’s bucket, Syracuse seemed to come up for a season-changing gasp of air once more. Nineteen years later.

‘I think the biggest thing was keeping our head above water,’ Hopkins said. ‘And thinking positive. Going into halftime with the lead just builds so much confidence within your team. That is why I was so excited.’

The Orange pried the win from Connecticut via its domination in the paint. SU set up a foundation on the interior in a low-scoring first half, as Jackson grabbed 10 rebounds against the Huskies’ overmatched big duo of Alex Oriakhi and Charles Okwandu.

And after SU starting center Fab Melo flopped again in the first three minutes of the game, fellow freshman center Baye Moussa Keita played the best game of his SU career. Moussa Keita was seemingly everywhere, playing 27 near-flawless minutes, hauling in 11 rebounds while amassing six steals and two blocks.

Syracuse’s 2-3 zone — condemned for its play in the four losses — frustrated and suffocated one of the nation’s best players. Husky junior guard Kemba Walker had one of his worst performances of the season, scoring only eight points after entering the game averaging 24.2.

Kris Joseph credited the top of Syracuse’s zone for Walker’s off night.

‘The guards did a great job keeping the penetration to a minimum,’ he said.

Another strong second-half scoring performance from Triche kept UConn at bay. SU played steady enough to coast the final three minutes of the game without Moussa Keita, who fouled out. The defense forced Walker into an ugly turnover in the game’s final minute.

From there, there was only one thing left. In Dion Waiters’ first game back since not playing in SU’s loss to Marquette on Saturday — along with James Southerland — Hopkins didn’t end the game by celebrating with Waiters.

It was back to business as the second buzzer sounded. Waiters and SU had accomplished what Hopkins did against Boston College in February 1992. The four-game skid was done.

The SU team Hopkins led to end the four-game skid in 1992 went onto win the exact thing Triche compared Wednesday’s feelings to: the Big East tournament. It’s a goal this 2011 team is still aiming for. All thanks to the fact that SU finally crept above water with Jackson’s bucket to end the half.

Said Hopkins: ‘Coach (Boeheim) kept saying, ‘You feel like you are 0-4. But remember we are 18-4, and remember and know that we are a good team.”

aolivero@syr.edu

Published on February 1, 2011 at 12:00 pm