This Day in Dome History: January 9

The Syracuse men’s basketball squad has played four tightly contested games in the Carrier Dome on this date during the past 25 years. The Orange has won three of the four contests, including a one-point victory against Villanova.

In 1995, Syracuse entered its game against Villanova on a 10-game winning streak that included three straight BIG EAST wins. SU led for most of the first half and held a 30-26 halftime advantage. Neither squad could pull away in the second half and the teams were tied, 53-53 with 3:09 remaining. John Wallace’s two free throws with 2:04 remaining gave the Orange a 57-56 lead. Chuck Kornegay scored Villanova’s final basket on a dunk with 1:45 left to give the Wildcats a 58-57 lead. From there the game became a free throw shooting contest, and Jonathan Haynes hit 1-of-2 free throws with 21.4 seconds remaining to give Villanova a 60-58 lead. That gave the Orange a chance for the win and Lawrence Moten took advantage of it, nailing a three-pointer with 6.6 seconds left to give SU a 61-60 victory in front of 21,564 fans. Moten finished the game with 14 points and six assists, while Wallace had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Syracuse posted its largest margin of victory on this date in 1993 when it defeated Miami, 89-81. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Orange and was its first league victory of the season. Adrian Autry played a key role in the victory. After the Hurricanes tied the score, 78-78, with 3:09 to play, Autry scored the next five points to give SU the lead for good. He finished with 17 points, six rebounds and seven assists. John Wallace posted a double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds, while Lucious Jackson and Moten each scored 16 points.

BIG EAST rival Seton Hall visited the Loud House in 1988. SU entered the game ranked No. 7 the AP poll and No. 6 in the USA Today/CNN poll. The Orange held the lead for much of the game, but Seton Hall refused to go away. A three-point basket by James Major cut Syracuse’s lead to three with less than a minute to play. Derrick Coleman had two chances to seal the victory for the Orange, but the front end of two consecutive one-and-ones. Following a timeout, Sherman Douglas hit 1-of-2 from the free throw line to give SU a four-point cushion. Michael Cooper hit a jumper at the buzzer as the Orange hung on for the victory, 84-82. Coleman led the way for SU with 17 points and 16 rebounds.

Syracuse’s only loss in the Dome on this date came in overtime against Villanova in 1982. The Wildcats trailed much of the second half, but tied the score and forced overtime on Aaron Howard’s 18-foot jumper with three seconds left in regulation. In the extra period, the two teams traded baskets before Dwayne McClain went 1-for-2 from the free throw line to give Villanova the lead, 80-79 with 2:58 left to play. A goaltending call gave the lead back to the Orange, but Nova’s Stewart Granger nailed a 20-foot jump shot to give the Wildcats the lead for good as they went to an 84-83 victory. Erich Santifer was one of four Orange players to reach double figures in scoring, tallying a game-high 21 points.

More than 23.5 million people have passed through the revolving doors of the Carrier Dome since the building’s first public event on September 20, 1980. Throughout the 2005-06 SU athletics seasons the University will celebrate the first 25 years of the Loud House.

In the first 25 years of the Dome, more than 1,740 events were staged, including collegiate, professional and high school athletics events, University commencement, concerts, a circus, and community events. These activities are chronicled in the more than 100 photographs that are currently in the concourse of the Dome. Fans who attend events in the Dome can re-live the memories with these photos.

Syracuse University Athletics

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