ack from the halftime break, Syracuse came out swinging.
They cranked up the defensive intensity right away.
Syracuse has always been a guard-heavy team. Their game plan is simple: drive hard, attack again, rinse and repeat. If you've got a top-tier point guard, that strategy can really work.
And for a few minutes, it did. They clawed their way back into the game, and Flynn finally started playing more team ball instead of going full ISO mode. You could tell the coach finally got through to him.
They were rotating better on offense, diving harder on defense—momentum was shifting.
Even Lin Yi couldn't be everywhere. As good as his defense is, he can't lock down the whole court by himself.
But the Wildcats weren't just gonna sit there and get rolled over.
Lin Yi, who'd been coasting and doing the dirty work all game, suddenly switched it on and dropped 8 quick points.
The Orange team had tears in their eyes.
It felt like cheating. They were turning up the heat, building up hope. Then a guy says, "Nah.", ripping away their chance.
From that point on, Syracuse was just playing catch-up. They couldn't break free of Davidson's rhythm.
To be fair, Jonny Flynn had a solid second half. He started running the offense like a real floor general—showed flashes of why he was such a high draft prospect.
Too bad the Timberwolves in Lin Yi's memory didn't know how to nurture talent…
Final buzzer: Wildcats win.
And just like that, it was over. The Orange players stood frozen for a moment, staring at the scoreboard like it personally betrayed them.
They thought they had a shot. And really, they did.
Outside of Lin Yi and Curry, Davidson didn't even play their best game.
But hey, that's the madness of March. One-and-done. Get your tactics right, or you are bounced, and everyone's got one shot.
Davidson just played smarter.
...
Post-game, Flynn walked over to Curry.
Flynn: "Congrats, man."
Curry: "Appreciate it."
Curry had just finished with a 33-point, 14-assist, 17-rebound, 5-steal monster line. On the March Madness stage, no less.
Flynn: "Next time we—"
Then he paused. Nah.
There wasn't gonna be a next time. Not in college, anyway.
The next time they met would be under the bright lights of the NBA.
Flynn: "You've got a hell of a squad."
Curry: "Damn right I do."
And just like that, Flynn walked off, trying to hide the sting of defeat. Meanwhile, Carmelo Anthony—yes, that Carmelo—was courtside, giving pep talks and dishing out motivational quotes like a seasoned vet.
....
Curry, pumped up, celebrated with the student section, soaking in the love. Most of the crowd were Davidson classmates—this was their moment too.
Curry with a grin, "My teammates are elite!"
And Lin Yi? Dude looked like he was just taking it easy... but still casually finished with 24 points, 5 boards, 4 blocks, 2 assists, and 2 steals.
Davidson advances to the Southern Final.
The Wildcats were now Elite Eight-bound—again.
Wu Xiaolei? She sprinted courtside with her camera crew but got beaten out by every other journalist trying to get Curry and Lin Yi's post-game quotes.
By the time she squeezed her way through the crowd? The interview was already over.
Wu Xiaolei:collapsing to her knees, "Not again."
Now, the big one was coming.
Davidson vs. North Carolina.
Elite Eight. Southern Finals. The winner goes to the Final Four.
ESPN already hyped it as the best game of the year. Betting sites were blowing up with odds.
How many threes will Curry hit?
Will Lin Yi get a triple-double?
Will UNC butcher Davidson like any other team that was in their path?
Everyone had something riding on this.
Even got some interest from President Obama.
The media dubbed it the NCAA's "Blue Storm Showdown".
🔵 The iconic Carolina Blue.
🌊 The rising wave from Davidson.
On one side: Curry and Lin Yi—both projected top 3 picks.
On the other: Hansbrough, Lawson, Ellington, Green—UNC's NBA-ready squad.
Reggie Miller, "If anyone's taking down North Carolina this year, it's Davidson."
Nobody disagreed.
Even the NCAA itself had packaged this matchup like it was the title game.
Indianapolis was packed to the brim.
Students, alumni, basketball junkies—everybody was tuning in.
This wasn't just the Elite Eight.
This was the unofficial NCAA Final.
And both teams?
Yeah, they were ready for war.
.....
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