2013-14 BCI Awards: Game of The Year, Men's Basketball: Boston College 62, Syracuse 59 (OT)

Like the 2013-14 BCI Award that went out to the men's hockey game of the year, this one was another unanimous choice. I mean, come on. Were you expecting the OT thriller over Sacred Heart to get the nod here?

After a hard-fought home loss to Syracuse earlier in the year, the Eagles -- spurred on by the recent passing of program mentor and dear friend, Dick Kelley -- upset the top-ranked and previously unbeaten Syracuse Orange, 62-59, in overtime.

In what many are calling not only the biggest upset of the current college basketball season, but one of the biggest of all time, Boston College went into the Carrier Dome before 26,716 and stunned #1 Syracuse, 62-59 in overtime.

The win, certainly the biggest of Steve Donahue's tenure at the Heights, was the first Eagle win over a number one opponent since a 2009 win at North Carolina. This will definitely make ESPN's College GameDay trip to Durham for SU-Duke this coming Saturday, a little less fun AND provides BC with a win in the all important Orange Eagle Trophy hunt!

Come on, how many of you saw this coming? There was really no reason to think this could happen. Yes, Syracuse had pulled some Houdini like escapes recently, but BC didn't seem well equipped to deal with the Orange and their vaunted zone.

Steve Donahue has taken a lot of heat on this site during the year from me included, but you've got to give him, the staff and the team a lot of credit for tonight. At 6-19 overall and 2-10 in the ACC, the team easily could have rolled over and gotten blown out. To be honest, after what I saw the other night against Notre Dame, I half expected it, but they didn't.

For a while, early in the second half, it looked like BC was going to limp to another languid finish, but the Eagles erased a double-digit second half deficit -- largely on the play of Patrick Heckmann -- to force overtime.

In the extra session, a pair of threes from the game's heroes, Hanlan and Heckmann, gave the Eagles the lead, but Syracuse's Tyler Ennis would counter to give the Orange a 57-56 lead with 1:12 remaining. Heckmann would come up big once again on a gorgeous high/low feed from Anderson to put the Eagles back up 58-57 with 46 seconds to play.

Of course the game's final minute wouldn't be without some bit of controversy. On the ensuing possession, Ennis attempted to inbounds the ball to C.J. Fair, which the officials ruled to have been tipped by Lonnie Jackson (though replay clearly showed Jackson didn't touch the ball). Given a second chance, Fair rushed an attempt with 28 seconds left that didn't go down. BC ball. Jackson would hit four straight FTs down the stretch and, after a Trevor Cooney desperation three fell short, the Eagles had their win over #1; a win for DK.

The Final Vote

BC @ #1 Syracuse - All. of. the. votes.

Comments From The Panel

I watched exactly one game, the UConn game. It was pretty epic there at the end. If we had won.... but we didn't. So I guess Syracuse. - Grant Salzano

There aren't exactly a whole bunch of moments to choose from, which makes it really easy to talk about the Syracuse game and move on. But think about what BC accomplished there. They beat the undefeated #1 team in the nation, in their house, less than a week after their mentor passes away from ALS. It really felt cathartic as the one moment that, even though Donahue would be fired, transcended sports. - Dan (NG) Rubin

One shining moment and because the rest of the season was horrible. - A.J Black

The Sacred Heart OT thriller. LOL no seriously the Cuse game. - Anonymous voter

This is like picking the skinniest fat kid. I guess I'll say the Syracuse game because it was close and we won even though I remember the quality of the basketball in it was pretty awful (hence why we won). The recent passing of Dick Kelley and the players using that as motivation to pull off the upset really made it more special than others, too. - Anonymous voter

Next Up

Game of the Year - All other sports - today, 3 PM

Schedule and Awardees

Monday, July 21

-Best Female Athlete - McKenzie Meehan, Women's Soccer

Tuesday, July 22

-Best Male Athlete - Andre Williams, Football
-Best Individual Performance in a Game - Andre Williams vs. NC State

Wednesday, July 23

-Coach of the Year - Steve Addazio, Football
-Team of the Year - Men's Hockey

Thursday, July 24

-Best Moment of the Year - BC Football Senior Day vs. NC State
-Worst Moment of the Year - BC Football's Last-Second Loss at Syracuse

Friday, July 25

-Play of the Year - Ryan Fitzgerald's Goal against UML
-BCI Post of the Year - Super Andre Williams

Monday, July 28

-Biggest Story of the Year - Win for DK
-Most Disliked Opponent of the Year - Syracuse

Tuesday, July 29

-Game of the Year (football) - BC 34, Virginia Tech 27
-Game of the Year (men's hockey) - BC defeats Lowell to advance to Frozen Four

Wednesday, July 30

-Game of the Year (men's basketball) - BC defeats #1 and previously unbeaten Syracuse on the road
-Game of the Year (all other sports) - today, 3 PM