Syracuse

VICTORIA MACAULAY had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Temple overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to top previously unbeaten Syracuse, 74-67, in women's game Sunday at McGonigle Hall. Rateske Brown scored 19 points and Tyonna Williams added 14 points and 11 assists for the Owls (5-2), who scored the first 12 points of the second half. Carmen Tyson-Thomas had 18 points to lead Syracuse (7-1). In another game: * Emily Leer scored 11 of her team-high 19 points during a 20-2 run midway through the second half as Villanova overcame a seven-point deficit to defeat visiting La Salle, 49-44.

Lindsay Kimmel shot 5-for-7 from the arc en route to 16 points to lead Villanova to a 68-60 women's victory over Syracuse yesterday in their regular season Big East finale. Laura Sweeney added 15 points for the Wildcats (16-13, 6-10), who will face Seton Hall in the first round of the conference tournament at 6 p.m. Friday in Hartford, Conn. Iasis Hemmingway had 19 points and 10 rebouds for Syrcause (17-13, (6-10). The Wildcats made 14 of their 26 three-point attempts.

BOSTON - Just off the TD Garden court, Scoop Jardine put his head against his father, both rubbing the back of the other's head, smiling and loving the moment. "I really want to cry, but I'm going to hold it in," the Syracuse point guard told his father, Tony. Jardine had just experienced what had to be the biggest victory of his collegiate career, and by a razor's edge avoided it being the last game of his career. The Orange are into the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time in nine years because they forced a tough last shot out of a hot team, getting past Wisconsin, 64-63, in a thriller that saw the losers make 14 three-pointers, including six in a row in the second half.

PITTSBURGH - Syracuse will have to chase a national championship without starting center Fab Melo, the Big East defensive player of year, who has been declared ineligible for the NCAA tournament. Syracuse (31-2) opens play on Thursday against No. 16 seed North Carolina-Asheville. The university announced Tuesday that the 7-foot Brazilian, who did not travel with the team to Pittsburgh for the second- and third-round games, won't take part in the tournament due to an eligibility issue.

TEMPLE COACH Fran Dunphy was concerned with his team's play when it was winning eight of nine. Then, the Owls played without any offensive rhythm again and were upset at home last Wednesday against Canisius. This did not appear to be good preparation for Saturday's game against No. 3 Syracuse at Madison Square Garden. It looked even worse when the Owls trailed by 10 points midway thought the first half. Then, almost without warning, Temple started to play like Dunphy's good teams always play - smart, sharp, with purpose.

NEW YORK - Before winning a conference title, notching a 20-win season, and advancing to the NCAA tournament, the first annual task for Temple is beating a top 10 opponent. Once again, the Owls accomplished that feat. Temple upset third-ranked Syracuse, 83-79, Saturday in the Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden. It is the fifth consecutive season the Owls (9-2) have knocked off a top 10 opponent. And this upset came three days after an embarrassing home loss to Canisius.

After saying goodbye to 12 seniors in their final home game, Temple said farewell to its last remaining hope to earn a bowl bid. The Owls needed to play close-to-perfect defense against Syracuse on Friday at Lincoln Financial Field, and they weren't close. The result was a 38-20 defeat that destroyed any chance of extending the season. Temple ended its first season back in the Big East with a 4-7 record, 2-5 in the conference. The Orange (7-5, 5-2) rushed for 260 yards, and the pride of Malvern Prep, Ryan Nassib, kept making key completions.

The routine is getting old for Villanova students: Count down the final seconds and storm the court at the Wells Fargo Center after watching their Wildcats knock off another opponent ranked in the top five. The Wildcats pulled off the unlikely Saturday, tying the game in regulation on Ryan Arcidiacono's three-point basket and riding James Bell's eight points in overtime to come away with a stunning 75-71 upset of third-ranked Syracuse before a frenzied crowd of 18,273. The victory marked the second time in five days that Villanova (13-7, 4-3 Big East)

Malvern Prep graduate Ryan Nassib threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Alec Lemon with 20 seconds to go, capping a 21-point fourth quarter as Syracuse spoiled Missouri's home finale with a 31-27 win Saturday night. Lemon had 12 receptions for 244 yards and two scores, including a 13-yard catch that tied it at 17 earlier in the fourth. After trailing by 17-3 early, the Orange (6-5) followed up on a 45-26 upset of previously unbeaten Louisville a week earlier and became bowl-eligible for the second time in three seasons.

Steve Mock scored seven goals while Rob Pannell added two goals and six assists as unseeded Cornell routed third-seeded Ohio State, 16-6, in the NCAA men's lacrosse tournament quarterfinals in College Park, Md., on Saturday. The Big Red (14-3) will face the winner of Sunday's Duke-Notre Dame match in next Saturday's semifinals at Lincoln Financial Field. Pannell moved into second on the NCAA's career points list with 347 points, six shy of former Duke attackman Matt Danowski's career record of 353. Mock scored all seven of his goals in the first half, including three in a span of 85 seconds as the Big Red broke things open.

Donovan McNabb said on his NBC Sports Radio show on Monday that he will officially retire as an Eagle this fall and that the team suggested he do it on Sept. 19 when former coach Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs visit Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles did not comment on the matter. Attempts to reach McNabb on Monday evening were unsuccessful. He first told a Syracuse radio station earlier in the day that he would retire as an Eagle, although that has always been the plan. The former Eagles quarterback has not played since 2011.

Villanova and Syracuse have agreed to a home-and-home men's basketball series over the next two seasons. Syracuse will play Villanova in the Carrier Dome on Dec. 28, and the Wildcats will host the Orange at the Wells Fargo Center in 2014 at a date to be determined. Tryout for Arcidiacono. Ryan Arcidiacono, a freshman point guard at Villanova, accepted an invitation to participate in the 2013 USA Basketball men's under-19 National Team training camp. The camp will be held on June 15-19 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Two-time champion Cristie Kerr shot a 5-under 66 to take a 2-stroke lead over second-ranked Stacy Lewis and Suzann Pettersen after the third round of the LPGA Tour's Kingsmill Championship in Williamsburg, Va. Kerr made six birdies to reach 10-under 203. Lewis shot a 69, and Pettersen had a 68.   LACROSSE: Syracuse beat host Villanova, 13-9, to win its fourth straight Big East men's title. The Orange never trailed, but the Wildcats scored four straight goals in the second half to pull within two in the fourth quarter.

Thursday night, a little after 10 o'clock, Justin Pugh's family and close friends tossed aside their longtime allegiance to Gang Green and became Big Blue Nation disciples. It happened as soon as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that Pugh, a 6-foot-4, 310-pound offensive tackle, would be playing for the New York Giants. "I was an Eagles fan growing up, just like all my buddies," the 2009 Council Rock South graduate said. "But with me going to the Giants, everyone is converting over.

James Southerland spent most of his first season at Syracuse on the bench and part of his last season with the Orange on the couch. His reward for all that frustration - a trip to the Final Four. Left stewing on the sideline as a freshman, then suspended for six games as a senior for an academic issue, Southerland is making the most out of his final weeks on Jim Boeheim's team. Heading into Saturday's semifinal against Michigan, Southerland has established himself as possibly Syracuse's most dangerous player on offense - the side of the court that's been receiving less attention during his team's run to Atlanta.

First in a series of previews on the Final Four teams. Tomorrow: Michigan.   IF ALL SYRACUSE point guard Michael Carter-Williams needed to worry about lately was basketball, that would have been plenty. Could he generate enough offense to help the defense-first Orange get to the Final Four? Could he take advantage of the NCAA Tournament spotlight to improve NBA teams' opinions of him? There also was this on Carter-Williams' mind, though: His family home in Massachusetts was hit by a fire 2 weeks ago. "When I'm on the court, or when I'm in practice, all my focus is on my teammates and the team," the sophomore said.

WASHINGTON - When played to perfection, there's nothing quite like Syracuse's aggressive, half-court, 2-3 zone defense. It's 40 minutes of trapping and shot-challenging, of closing off angles, of trusting teammates. "We showed," senior guard Brendan Triche said, "that defense wins games. " Yes, the Orange "D" certainly does. With a second suffocating performance at the East Regional, No. 4-seeded Syracuse shut down No. 3 Marquette, 55-39, Saturday to earn coach Jim Boeheim his fourth trip to the Final Four - and first since a freshman named Carmelo Anthony helped win the 2003 NCAA championship.

ATLANTA - An inspired Louisville squad vs. the surprising Shockers. A new group of Fab Wolverines vs. Syracuse and college basketball's stingiest zone defense. After a weekend of blowouts and another upset, the Final Four is set. Top overall seed Louisville will face Wichita State at the Georgia Dome on Saturday, while Michigan takes on Syracuse in the other national semifinal. The winners advance to next Monday's championship. On Sunday, the Cardinals drew inspiration from a gruesome injury to guard Kevin Ware and cruised past Duke, 85-63, in the Midwest Regional.

WASHINGTON - With the Big East As We Know It coming to an end, Marquette coach Buzz Williams no doubt figured he'd seen the last of Syracuse's zone for a while. He's got a 290-pound player on the bench who can't wait to face it again. "I know about spacing," Davante Gardner said Friday. "So they'll change it up and try to lock me down. " It takes a bit of bravado for a backup junior forward to have a "bring it on" attitude over Syracuse's 2-3 fortress, especially after the way coach Jim Boeheim's team dominated Indiana in Thursday night's 61-50 win, but Gardner had a standout game against the zone last month and can't wait for the rematch when the third-seeded Golden Eagles (26-8)