PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) – When Syracuse and Connecticut get together on the court, good basketball often follows.
The former Big East Conference rivals provided another gem at the Battle 4 Atlantis.
Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney each had 17 points and the Orange held off the 18th-ranked Huskies 79-76 on Thursday to earn a spot in the championship game.
“For me it was my first time playing against UConn,” Gbinije said. “It was nice to see the rivalry and just nice to come up with a win in this type of competitive environment.”
Tyler Lydon added 16 points off the bench. Gbinije also had seven assists in a game that featured seven ties and five lead changes.