With graduation quickly approaching, check out the 10 most memorable events in Syracuse sports over the last four years.

March/April 2013 — Men’s basketball Final Four run

In its last appearance in the Big East tournament, Syracuse made it all the way to the championship game before losing to Louisville, eventually earning a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. SU crushed No. 13 seed Montana and then beat No. 12 California in the first two rounds. In the Sweet Sixteen, it upset No. 1 seed Indiana, led by Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller, and then limited Marquette to 39 points to advance to the Final Four. But against a Michigan team with five future NBA players, SU’s poor shooting led to a loss in a Final Four game it wasn’t expected to be in.

May 27, 2013 — Men’s lacrosse national championship loss

The Orange beat Notre Dame and Villanova to win the Big East tournament championship and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. SU beat Denver, 9-8, in the national semifinals and had a chance to win its third title in six years. But that hope was thwarted by Duke, as the Blue Devils overcame a 6-1 second-quarter deficit and scored 12 of the game’s next 13 goals, which was more than enough en route to the 16-10 victory.

Nov. 2013 – Feb. 2014 — Men’s basketball’s 25-0 start to season

The Orange got off to its best start in school history by winning the first 25 games of the year. Led by freshman point guard Tyler Ennis, SU shot through the national rankings. Included in the run were memorable wins against Duke and Pittsburgh. The win against Duke set the all-time record for an on-campus crowd (35,446) and the Orange won 91-89 in overtime in the two schools’ first meeting as ACC foes. On the road at Pittsburgh, Syracuse trailed Pitt by one with 4.4 seconds left but Ennis pulled up from nearly half court and drained a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to extend the Orange’s win streak.

Sam Maller | Staff Photographer

May 25, 2014 — Women’s lacrosse national championship loss

In Syracuse’s second championship game appearance in three years, the Orange let Maryland score five goals in the game’s opening five minutes and eventually lost the matchup, 15-12. While the game was just another loss to Maryland — since head coach Gary Gait started coaching SU, his program is 1-11 against UMD — it was the last game SU legends Alyssa Murray and Kayla Treanor played together.

March 6, 2015 — NCAA sanctions

The NCAA released a 94-page report detailing improper academic benefits, violations of the school’s drug policy and a lack of institutional control that had taken place over the course of more than a decade involving the men’s basketball and football teams. As a result, Director of Athletics Daryl Gross stepped down, head men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim said he would retire in three years and the teams were put on five years probation — among other things. Through appeals, the university won back scholarships, Boeheim was able to start his nine-game suspension earlier than originally stated, but the school failed in its appeal of vacated wins (parts of five years worth of basketball wins and three years worth of football wins).

Nov. 22, 2015 — Field hockey national championship win

After an undefeated regular season, Syracuse lost to North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game. But the Orange got revenge by winning SU’s first-ever national title for a women’s program. Senior goalie Jess Jecko made several key late saves and Syracuse’s offense did enough to secure the 4-2 win. In 2014, the Orange lost to Connecticut in the national championship and before that, SU had made several deep postseason runs. But finally Syracuse broke through with the ultimate prize: a national title.

Nov. 28, 2015 — Football head coach Scott Shafer’s last game

Scott Shafer was fired the Monday before his last game by new Director of Athletics Mark Coyle, but he was allowed to finish out the season with a game against Boston College. SU kicker Cole Murphy put a field goal through the uprights as time expired to give the Orange a win in Shafer’s last game as head coach. Offensive linemen Nick Robinson and Rob Trudo carried Shafer off the field.

Nov./Dec. 2015 — Men’s soccer Final Four run

Sam Maller | Staff Photographer

Syracuse began the 2015 season needing to replace nearly 70 percent of its scoring from the year prior. All the Orange did was win 16 games and advance to the program’s first ever Final Four. Crucial wins down the stretch against No. 5 North Carolina, No. 2 Clemson and No. 9 Notre Dame led to SU’s first conference title since 1985. In the NCAA tournament, a Ben Polk header in the 79th minute of the Elite Eight sent the Orange to the Final Four. But SU lost to Clemson in penalty kicks in the semifinal game.

March/April 2016 — Women’s basketball Final Four run

Two blowout losses to Notre Dame and Louisville had Syracuse at rock bottom in the middle of the season, but what happened next was an improbable run to the ACC and national championship games. The Orange went on an 11-game winning streak to end the season and received a No. 4 seed in the tournament to host games for the first time in program history. SU headed to Sioux Falls, South Dakota and took down a powerhouse in No. 1 seed South Carolina that had lost just once all season. The team’s first Sweet 16, Elite Eight and Final Four berths culminated in a national championship game appearance against No. 1-ranked and undefeated Connecticut. Syracuse native Breanna Stewart and the Huskies ended the Orange’s magical run.

March/April 2016 — Men’s basketball Final Four run

Syracuse sat on the bubble on Selection Sunday, but after getting in as a No. 10 seed, the Orange made the most of its trip to the Big Dance. First with two dominant wins and then with two ferocious comebacks to reach the Final Four. The Orange trailed No. 11 seed Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 by as many as nine with under seven minutes to play and trailed No. 1 seed Virginia in the Elite Eight by as many as 15 with under 10 minutes to play. SU pulled off both remarkable upsets and despite losing in the Final Four to No. 1 seed North Carolina, Jim Boeheim’s fifth Final Four run as a head coach was memorable.

Published on May 10, 2016 at 4:00 pm