About 15 minutes before Syracuse tipped off against Marquette in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament, a sea of orange descended upon Marshall Street. Fans crowded into Varsity Pizza, Acropolis Pizza House and other restaurants and bars to watch the Orange battle the Golden Eagles for a spot in the Final Four.

When the game ended about two hours later, a similar scene took place, but this time, fans poured into the street, yelling and jumping for joy after watching the Orange advance to its first Final Four in 10 years after defeating Marquette 55-39.

Chants of “Final Four!” and “Let’s go, Orange!” echoed through Marshall Street as strangers started high-fiving in celebration and drivers rolled down their car windows to join in the jubilation.

“This is awesome for the team and the city and everyone,” said Tim Reynolds, a Syracuse resident. “It’s been 10 years since the last Final Four for us, so this is definitely exciting.”

Many thought the Orange didn’t stand much of a chance to make a run in the NCAA Tournament after finishing its regular season poorly.

But fans had plenty to cheer about throughout the game, including a scene in which CBS showed President Barack Obama in attendance. With just more than a minute left in the second half and Syracuse leading by 16, a “Let’s go, Orange!” chant broke out in Varsity.

After the final seconds ticked away, the celebration moved out to Marshall Street, where the Syracuse Police Department had officers positioned to make sure fans stayed under control.

An SPD officer said police were just stationed in the area as a precaution after the game. He added that he didn’t think additional officers would be necessary for the next game, as long as people weren’t especially rowdy.

But most fans weren’t rowdy after the win. They were just basking in the excitement of unexpectedly making a run to the Final Four.

“I don’t think very many people expected Syracuse to go this far given the way the regular season ended,” said Kelley Shepard, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences. “For me, I never doubted that the team was talented enough to make a run in the tournament, but we just started playing well at the perfect time.”

As orange-clad fans began dispersing from Marshall Street about half an hour after the game ended, there was plenty for everyone to smile about, including the building the Orange played in that afternoon to clinch its spot in the Final Four.

“The win was awesome,” Shepard said. “Plus, it doesn’t get any better than cutting down the nets on Georgetown’s home floor.”

Published on March 30, 2013 at 9:47 pm

Contact Brett: blsamuel@syr.edu | @Brett_Samuels27