EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – By Jim Boeheim’s estimation, the Syracuse men’s basketball team’s 74-67 loss last night was decided in the game’s first four minutes.

Seton Hall jumped to a 12-0 lead before Gerry McNamara buried a jumper at the 16:02 mark. Seton Hall’s run was led by its guards. Andre Barrett and John Allen each knocked down 3-pointers as the Pirates converted on five of their first six possessions.

Syracuse, meanwhile, looked confounded on offense. The Orangemen bricked their first five shots, turning the ball over twice and setting the tone for the rest of the game. Syracuse’s perimeter players – Josh Pace, Billy Edelin and McNamara – all missed attempts in the opening minutes.

Even Seton Hall head coach Louis Orr seemed astounded at his team’s success.

‘Our guys did everything they had to do to win this game,’ Orr said. ‘We had what? Five consecutive stops?’ he repeated after an answer came from the back of the press conference.

With Syracuse’s shooters struggling early, Seton Hall sagged off the Orangemen, setting into a soft zone and taking away space and easy passes from forward Hakim Warrick.

After the opening run, Syracuse came no closer than four points.

‘We battled to get back in it, but we couldn’t overcome that,’ Boeheim said. ‘I don’t think we were flat. We just didn’t get off to a good start. When we started coming back, we couldn’t keep it going.’

Now Orr never

Seton Hall head coach Louis Orr might have been too modest to admit it, but downing his alma mater and his mentor must have been gratifying.

Orr offered an emotional prayer at the beginning of his postgame press conference and paused to take a deep breath when asked by a reporter how much the game meant to him.

‘I learned a lot from (Jim Boeheim),’ Orr said. ‘He’s been a mentor and a friend since I was 18 years old.’

Orr played at Syracuse from 1976 to 1980, going to the NCAA Tournament during all four seasons. He also worked as an assistant coach at Syracuse from 1996-2000, helping to change Syracuse’s reputation from a school that landed hidden talents to one that currently dominates the recruiting landscape.

Orr hugged Jeremy McNeil – the last SU player left from his time as an assistant and a center that he recruited – after the final buzzer sounded.

‘To beat someone like (Boeheim), who has won 600 or 650 or I don’t know how many games anymore, that’s always special,’ Orr said.

Bronx Bomber

Syracuse’s road trip to East Rutherford allowed Bronx native Louie McCroskey a trip back home to the New York City area and an opportunity to play in front of some hometown fans. McCroskey, a standout at St. Raymond High School in the Bronx, fouled out with three points after only 14 minutes.

He denied that playing in front of the hometown crowd caused him some jitters.

‘Sometimes you try to focus too much,’ McCroskey said. ‘You just have to go out there and play.’

His coach, though, begged to differ.

‘Every time a kid comes back home for the first time, it’s probably a tough game,’ Boeheim said. ‘He’s been playing really well. I think tonight he was just a little overwhelmed at being home.’

Fresh faces

For the first time since Syracuse beat Canisius 87-70 on Dec. 30, all four of SU’s freshmen got in the game. McCroskey, often the first or second Orangeman off the bench, registered 14 minutes, the most of the four freshmen. Forward Demetris Nichols matched McCroskey’s three points with a 3-pointer of his own late in the game. They were the only freshmen to score.

After the game, Boeheim hinted that Darryl Watkins, although he was held scoreless against Seton Hall, should see more time this season.

‘We’ve just been playing these first 14 games and we really had a nice mixture of how we were playing together,’ Boeheim said. ‘We didn’t use a lot of people and we need to probably use him a little bit.’

This and that

Students at Continental Airlines Arena stormed the court after Seton Hall’s win over the Orangemen. They may have been less likely to bum rush security if they’d known that Seton Hall was a two-point favorite … With 15 minutes left in the game, a fight broke out between a gray-haired man and security. Students cheered the scrum on as the man was escorted – arms flailing – by three men in suits and five armed guards. … Intermittently throughout the game, the big screen at the arena displayed personalized messages from Seton Hall players to the crowd. ‘Sixth man! We can’t heeeeeeear yoooouuu!’ said Andre Barrett to the fans. … Despite SU’s putrid shooting, a few unlikely 3-point threats had some success. Late in the second half, Edelin hit his second 3-pointer of the year while Josh Pace – hitch in his shot and all – recorded only his first.

Published on January 20, 2004 at 12:00 pm