Though there was still more than two minutes left in the game, Orange fans at Varsity Pizza knew their team was headed to the Final Four.

First, a “Let’s go, Orange!” chant spread throughout the entire room. Then, almost in unison, the nearly 60 people in the restaurant got to their feet. They embraced one another, exchanged high-fives and toasted beers.

The only sound in Varsity as the last 10 seconds of the game ticked away was applause. Syracuse had defeated Marquette 55-39 and secured its first trip to the Final Four since 2003, when the Orange won the national championship.

German Nieto, a senior information management and technology major, was at the restaurant with a group of friends watching the Elite Eight matchup. He seemed to share the same level of excitement as the rest of the crowd.

“I was here at Varsity when we lost to Ohio State. It sucked,” he said. “Now — f*cking awesome.”

Nieto said he is feeling the best he’s felt about Syracuse basketball in the four years he has attended SU.

Luis Calderon, a senior accounting major who was at the same table as Nieto, seemed to like the Orange’s chances at winning its second national championship.

“We haven’t went to the Final Four since we won the championship, so I’m pretty stoked,” he said. “I think we have a good shot.”

The atmosphere in the restaurant was the most calm when the game started at 4:30 p.m.

People leaned forward to get a clearer look at the restaurant’s large projector screen —though the broadcast was delayed compared to the one playing on Varsity’s other televisions. In several instances, fans’ reactions to plays were delayed, as well.

There was occasional clapping when the Orange made a 3-pointer or drew a foul. But the noise level picked up for a few plays, like a 3 by James Southerland with a little more than two minutes remaining in the game.

“It’s a great day,” said Conor Nash, a junior international relations major. “I can’t even express how good I feel.”

Nash said he felt good about Syracuse’s chances the entire game, but added that the team has a long road ahead with Michigan in the semifinals.

William Chu, a civil engineering major, said he thinks the Orange will go further than the Final Four, but was excited the team made it to the semifinals in his last year at SU.

“I’m a senior,” Chu said. “So being able to graduate with us going to Final Four — it’s amazing.”

Published on March 30, 2013 at 9:56 pm

Contact Dylan: dmsegelb@syr.edu | @dylan_segelbaum