Keep On Dancing Syracuse Orange Mascot

Mascots have spirit. The Syracuse Orange has spirit that never stops. To the Orange, it didn’t matter that its team blew a 13 point lead in the second half and ultimately lose the last Big East tournament ever by 17 points to the Louisville Cardinals. Loses don’t stop dancing.

While the Cardinals were on the court celebrating its second consecutive Big East championship, third in the last five years, a dejected Syracuse team was walking back to the locker room hanging their heads in disappointment. Once the last of the coaching staff cleared the camera’s view, the Orange appeared wobbling side-to-side while pumping its fists in the air. Even the cheerleaders in tow had no more spirit to give as there pom-poms hanged by their side.

Many faithful Big East fans saw a Syracuse victory as a fitting end to the soon-to-be disbanded conference. Syracuse was one of the original seven teams to form the Big East back in 1979, along with Providence College, St. John’s, Georgetown, Boston College, Seton Hall, and the University of Connecticut. Syracuse ends its career in the Big East with 5 tournament victories, which is second all-time. The Orange ended the tournament with 78 victories in tournament play which is tied with Georgetown for most all-time.

Louisville didn’t join the Big East until 2005 but managed to win 3 titles [third all-time] in that short span.

For the second straight year Louisville’s Peyton Siva was the tournament MVP, who joined Patrick Ewing as the only other player to win back-to-back honors. The victory makes Louisville a strong contender to be selected as the overall number one seed on Selection Sunday.