PARADISE ISLAND, The Bahamas – Connecticut and Syracuse were always a marquis attraction in the old Big East.

The two programs have both departed for different conferences when the Big East began to break up in 2013. Syracuse fled to the Atlantic Coast Conference and UConn landed in the American. As for the annual matchup, it faded into the mist.

If Syracuse’s dramatic 79-76 victory over the 18th ranked Huskies in the semi-finals of the Battle4Atlantis Thursday is any indication, it seems only logical to bring this great rivalry back on an annual basis and play it on a neutral site in Madison Square Garden.

Syracuse has already played former Big East rivals St. John’s, Georgetown and Villanova.

“I would think we’d definitely schedule UConn down the road,” Syracuse Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim admitted.

It makes sense. The Orange have a huge alumni base in New York City and a history of successfully recruiting that city, North Jersey, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. during the 39-year Boeheim era to build a perennial national power that includes 28 NCAA tournament appearances, a national championship in 2003 and two more trips to the NCAA Final Four.
But, after the NCAA slammed Syracuse with a probation sentence last spring that cost them scholarships and will keep Boeheim off the bench for the first nine games at the start of the ACC schedule, no one knew what to expect.

This was not supposed to be a vintage Syracuse team. The Orange were only considered the seventh best team in the ACC prior to the season. DaJuan Coleman’s troubled knees cost the 6-9 redshirt junior, who once had so much promise as a high school prospect, an entire season, leaving Boeheim without a proven low post center who could play the back of the zone at the start of the season. The lack of rebounding had been an Achilles’ heel in the Orange’s first three games.

But Boeheim is finding new ways to overcome the obstacles, beating the pre-tournament favorite here with a smaller than usual lineup that had four three point shooters to advance to Friday’s championship game against SEC power Texas A & M (6-0). The Aggies advanced with a 62-61 upset victory over 10th-ranked Gonzaga in their semi.

Michael Gbinije, a 6-7 point forward who transferred from Duke, scored 17 points and contributed 7 assists in a game that had seven ties and five lead changes. “For me it was my first time playing against UConn,” Gbinije said. “It was nice to see the rivalry and just nice to come up with a win in this type of competitive environment.”

Fifth year senior guard Trevor Cooney, who got a taste of one Big East season, also scored 17 points and 6-9 freshman forward Tyler Lydon added 16 off the bench for the Orange, who shot 56.5 percent in the second half and put five players in double figures during a wild, wide open offensive minded game that could have easily been played in the Garden.

“Tyler Lydon’s done an unbelievable job. In the middle of the defense, and offensively he sees plays that nobody sees,” Boeheim said. “He’s had two monstrous games down here.”

Versatile sophomore forward Daniel Hamilton led UConn with 18 points. Sterling Gibbs and Rodney Purvis each added 12.

The two teams combined to make 19 shots from three point range (10 by UConn and nine by Syracuse). The Orange had a stretch in the second half during which they sanke 12-for-15 shots, including five three-pointers. The Huskies countered with 8-of-10 shooting span and four three pointers

“That was a lot of fun,” Cooney said. “Both teams were up-and-down at the end and making plays, scoring baskets. These are the type of games you want to play in.”

Syracuse fell behind 10 points in the first half but rallied to force a 31-31 halftime tie. The game remained tight before the Orangemen went on a 10-0 run to build a 54-47 lead with less than 11 minutes remaining. UConn’s 7-0 shot blocking center Amida Brimah was forced to the bench during Syracuse’s big run after picking up a fourth persona.

“The second half they really just took it to us offensively,” Huskies’ coach Kevin Ollie said. “We were in a drought in the first half and the second half and really allowed them to take over the game, and in transition they really hurt us with the threes.”

“The pace of the game cranked up down the stretch. During one dizzying 94 second flurry, the two teams combined to score on seven consecutive possessions, totaling 18 points between them.

Hamilton kept UConn’s hopes alive when he scored on a three pointer with 36.8 seconds left to cut the Orange lead to three. On the ensuing possession, Syracuse ran the shot clock down before Cooney threw up a desperation heave. But Syracuse forward Tyler Roberson grabbed a long rebound– his ninth of the game– to seal the victory.

“It was a great game,” Boeheim said. “I can’t say enough for these guys. I thought we played well, as well as we could have played for a long stretch there.”