Syracuse can only hold on to the Carrier Dome’s magic for so long

SYRACUSE -- Blue and orange balloons crisscrossed the air from section 309 at the top of the Carrier Dome after a Tyler Roberson crank and tomahawk smash.

One student sat at in awe in the front of the Orange student section in a tangerine-stained cape and a matching mask with horns to bring together his ensemble. Another wore a massive blue Afro, sunglasses and a bright orange morph suit in the middle of the pandemonium.

Others came with associated helmets and knit scarves, multitudes with carrot-colored paraphernalia. The 30, 677 ‘Cuse crazies, the largest crowd in the NCAA this season, that packed the dome, were more than raucous. The deafening racket only increased when Jim Boeheim beckoned the fans to belt louder.

Every time they got within 10 of Miami they rose. Another shot. Miss. Huge rebound. Rakeem Christmas slam. But Miami would always respond. Ron Patterson would rip the ball from Angel Rodriguez in transition. Every time. Every chance they had. They continued to rise. They continued to chant. The magic acquainted with the old dome hasn’t left the concrete sphere. Every run was more emphatic than its predecessor.

"New York’s College Team", as the signs read circling Boeheim Court read, couldn’t dig out of the hole they created. But without their devotees, their diehards, they wouldn’t have had the chance to even stand next to Miami.

"When it gets loud, yes," Miami’s Rodriguez said when asked if crowd noise rattled the Hurricanes guards. "It’s hard to judge an arena like this one and compare it to Cameron Indoor Stadium or those arenas. We do a good job of controlling the crowd. But no doubt, it’s a great atmosphere. 30,000 fans? I’ve never played in front of that many people. When they get an opportunity to get loud. They do very good."

It became Syracuse's new issues this season that caught them slipping late. The miscues like a missed Michael Gbinje dunk in transition. The lapses in Boeheim's famously run 2-3 zone, where players began daring Miami, a top-75 team in the NCAA in three-point percentage per KenPom, to shoot the rock. Or the missed opportunities at the free throw line (42.1 percent) and 13 turnovers, which led to the Hurricanes scoring in double figures off their mistakes.

The problems plaguing the Orange are obvious. Their chances at an NCAA postseason bid past their conference tournament are slimming by the loss. But in the eyes of Boeheim, who classically dismissed all notions about the postseason, it was all about the play on the floor.

There's no pretending anymore. Syracuse is a stinker in their coach's eyes.

"You can't miss the free throws. We aren't that good," Boeheim said with a sarcastic chuckle. "This team's battling as hard as we can...you can overcome these free throws but you really have to play well to do that."

And the players agreed. Trevor Cooney sat at his locker post game, dejected, his head looking at the tightly wrapped ice on his knees. It came down to the free throws. It was always about the free throws. Rakeem Christmas quietly answered reporters questioning. Gbinje and Patterson lost their youthful spirit.

A tangible life on court was gone. The Orange have gone rotten.

"We do it in practice and we should do it in a game," Christmas said about the team's mishaps. "We just have to go in there and be confident and we will be fine...stuff happens. You lose some. You win some. We're going to put this behind us."

One by one, the balloons that danced around the dome's air started to burst before they reached the court. Miami's Manu Lecomte sunk a dagger from 22 feet to seal the contest. The convincing runs that had captivated 'Cuse's crowd had finally ceased.

Syracuse's five conference wins are their only blessing. They are about to head into the gauntlet, facing No. 15 North Carolina on the road, two other conference foes away from home and then ranked Duke, Louisville, Notre Dame, Duke again and then Virginia. If they make it out of their last 11 games alive, they could be a fringe NCAA squad. Or, the next champion of the NIT.

It's a different feeling around 900 Irving Avenue, as the dome overlooks Syracuse. The air has been let out, but the fans keep coming. The dome keeps attracting some of the best of one of college basketball's most crazed fan bases. But come March, the dome, the fans, the pageantry of Syracuse basketball won't get them into the tournament.

It's do or die time. Boheim's boys will either drive a clunker or ride smooth into March and start dancing. And as long as it's not being discussed, Boeheim is content. For the moment.

"I never think about all this other stuff. Ever. It's not relevant," Boeheim said when asked about the team's postseason chances. "I said it's not going to be easy. But that's not a revelation...we don't talk about the postseaon (around here). So don't talk to me about it."