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  Article by Dan Tortora

  No matter what people try to attempt to make rivalries in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), the real Syracuse Orange rivalry was, is, and feels like it will always be with the Georgetown Hoyas, in conference together or not.

  It is the game you circle as a Syracuse or Georgetown fan.

  The one that you go to if you only go to a single game or handfull of games a season.

  It lasted throughout them both being in the Big East Conference, and lasts on to today despite the Hoyas remaining in the Big East when the Orange left almost a decade ago.

  Syracuse fans teach their children for generations to never wear gray on gameday, and Georgetown does the same when it comes to orange.

  This was Game of Thrones before Game of Thrones...

  Coming into this their 98th match-up, Syracuse owned a 52-45 advantage. The Orange won the first-ever meeting between the two schools 40-18 on February 15, 1930, in Syracuse New York, and the Hoyas were victorious in their last contest, 79-75, at home in Washington, D.C.

  The visiting Hoyas took a 9-0 lead to begin the game, but down 17-6, the Orange would respond with a run of their own, scoring 12 unanswered points to take their first lead of the game, 18-17, off of a jumper in the lane by senior guard Joe Girard, III.

  From when Syracuse took the lead at the 9:51 mark (18-17), there were nine lead changes and two ties between the squads.

  After taking a 31-30 lead off of a dunk by sophomore center Mounir Hima at the 4:15 mark, the Orange would not trail for the remainder of the opening half, heading into the break ahead by 11, 45-34.

  Both Head Coach Jim Boeheim, in his 47th season at the helm of the men's basketball program, and the late great Dwayne "Pearl" Wshington were officially raised into the Ring of Honor during halftime as Boeheim called Syracuse "the greatest place to live".

  Orange seniors Girard and Jesse Edwards, who led the team last game with 18 points apiece, ended the first half with 12 points and nine points, respectively.

  Just 11 seconds into the second half, Edwards surpassed double-figures in scoring himself with a layup that gave him 11 points, getting Syracuse on the board first after the break.

  The Hoyas would bring their deficit below double-digits with 15:26 left in the game, down 52-44, after a layup by sophomore forward Bradley Ezewiro.

  Senior center Qudus Wahab, keeper of a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Hoyas, would foul out with 4:38 to go and his team behind 65-57.

  Orange true freshman forward Chris Bell would knock down both free throws off of the 1-and-1 created by Wahab's final foul, rolling the Orange back ahead by double-digits, 67-57.

  Syracuse would go on a 16-7 run from there to close the game out 83-64, never trailing in the second half to gain their 53rd win over Georgetown all-time and improve their record against their rival to 53-45.

  The victory extends the Orange winning streak to three games and raises them to 6-4 overall, while moving the Hoyas below .500 at 5-6.

  Edwards led all Syracuse players with 20 to go with his 11 rebounds for a double-double, followed by true freshman point guard Judah Mintz with 16, Girard with 15, and sophomore forward Benny Williams with 13. 

  Georgetown was led by sophomore guard Primo Spears who had 22, followed by junior guard Jay Heath with 14, and Wahab with 10.