Joe Burke didn’t need much confirmation to know he was part of something truly special. Along the sideline, Burke was faced with a unique challenge: continue coaching while also keeping his players from collapsing.

But when Burke, the men’s basketball coach at Skidmore, looked in the stands and saw far more spectators than the 142 that were accounted for, any lingering doubt was immediately eradicated.

On this day ? in a gym nearly empty at tipoff ? anyone who heard about what was taking place wanted to be on hand. And by the end, most of them were.

They wanted to see NCAA basketball history unfold before their eyes as they watched a couple of relatively unknown teams in Skidmore and Southern Vermont do something that has only been done twice before: play to seven overtimes. In a game that was a battle in every sense of the word, the Thoroughbreds and Mountaineers fought for 75 minutes, with Skidmore eventually emerging with the 128-123 victory in the Nov. 23 contest at Southern Vermont’s Mountaineer Athletic Center.

‘I really think (word) started to spread as it was going on,’ said Burke. ‘I don’t know this for sure, but I felt there were more people in the stands in the end than at the beginning.’

Going into the night, Burke said he expected a tough game between two evenly matched teams. But when it was all said and done, a tough game would be a huge understatement. In his first season as the head coach at Skidmore, Burke was still getting to know what each player brought to the court. Still trying to gauge each player’s abilities.

And after 75 minutes ? just five minutes short of two full games ? he learned plenty.

‘We were figuring each other out,’ Burke said. ‘I challenged our guys about mental toughness. I was finding out a little more about each individual.’

At the end of regulation, the game was tied at 59-59. Melvis Langyintuo hit a free throw with one second left to go to a second overtime. The tie wasn’t broken in the third overtime, so it was on to a fourth. This time it was Jeff Altimar’s jumper with nine seconds left that extended the contest once more.

During the game, Burke was telling his players to enjoy the moment. Nothing like this will ever happen to them again. It’s possibly the game of their careers. Soak it all in. But even he started to want to see it end.

‘Coach was telling us during the game to enjoy it,’ junior guard Gerard O’Shea said. ‘By like the sixth overtime, Coach was like, ‘Enough already, let’s end it.”

What the Thoroughbreds wouldn’t do, though, was allow the Mountaineers to end the game on their terms. So when Southern Vermont led the entire sixth overtime, Skidmore had to again make a basket to keep the game alive. This time, it was Eli Johnston hitting a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left.

On to a seventh.

In the end, the mental toughness that Burke challenged his players to show ended up being the deciding factor. Skidmore found a way to outlast Southern Vermont, which had no answer for the Thoroughbreds in the seventh overtime. Skidmore scored 16 points to Southern Vermont’s 11, putting an end to the marathon game.

‘We celebrated like we won the national championship,’ Burke said. ‘I walked into the locker room and screamed. They were all yelling, and then a couple of guys cramped up. It was something to see.’

What followed was more media coverage and attention than perhaps Skidmore ever received in the past. And for a coach who has lofty goals, which includes getting Skidmore to be a nationally known team, a push into the spotlight never hurts when it comes to recruiting.

‘It’s a nice thing to hear kids call up and say, ‘Hey, coach, I saw you guys on TV. Great job,” Burke said. ‘I have national visions for this program.’

Burke said he never wants the memory of this game to get lost in the minds of his players. Instead, he said, they’ll always be a part of history.

They’ll be able to look back on a feat that is rarely matched in college basketball and one that transcends the level of play. Division III or Division I doesn’t matter. It’s a game for the ages.

‘These kids are going to have a bond forever because of this,’ Burke said. ‘I don’t want these kids to forget it.’

No. 3 Syracuse vs. No. 7 Villanova

Villanova is coming off a tough loss to Connecticut that ended with Corey Fisher missing a 3-pointer as time expired. The Wildcats will want to take down Syracuse at the Carrier Dome to give the Orange its second straight Big East loss. But when it comes down to it, they won’t be able to.

Syracuse 68, Villanova 60

No. 16 Notre Dame vs. Marquette

Despite being ranked, Notre Dame has proven to be vulnerable in conference play. No further evidence is needed than the 72-54 loss it suffered at the hands of St. John’s. And that game followed a 79-57 loss to none other than the Golden Eagles. Not even being at home will give Notre Dame a chance to beat Marquette, giving the Golden Eagles the home-and-home sweep.

Marquette 81, Notre Dame 74

No. 22 St. Mary’s vs. Vanderbilt

St. Mary’s has a potent offense that has gotten it to seventh in the nation with 84.1 points per game and second in the nation in field-goal percentage at 51.3 percent. The Gaels have just two losses this year to BYU and San Diego State. If it keeps up that type of shooting, this game goes to St. Mary’s.

St. Mary’s 88, Vanderbilt 75

No. 17 Michigan State vs. No. 14 Purdue

Purdue struggled in its previous two games, with two straight losses to current No. 15 Minnesota and West Virginia. It has played only one ranked team so far. This will be the Boilermakers toughest yet so far, but they won’t be able to beat the Spartans, despite being at home.

Michigan State 82, Purdue 75

No. 10 Texas vs. No. 2 Kansas

Kansas is leading the nation in shooting, going 52.4 percent from the field. Kansas won’t suffer its first Big 12 loss to Texas. The Jayhawks are 18-0 so far and will make it 19-0 against the Longhorns.

Kansas 78, Texas 70

cjiseman@syr.edu

Published on January 18, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Chris: cjiseman@syr.edu | @chris_iseman