The Carrier Dome’s video screens displayed an image of Gerry McNamara during the National Anthem, prompting the 26,805 fans at the Carrier Dome to go rabid over the scorching senior. The starting lineups were revealed and the pandemonium continued to crack eardrums. When the ball was tipped, the already standing fans elevated an ovation that electrified the brisk eve of students’ first day of classes.The analogous sixth man was in full force when the No. 20 Orange hosted No. 3 Connecticut on Monday night. So too, though, were the Huskies.Connecticut opened the game with a 12-0 run and used a 20-point first half lead to top the Orange, 88-80. It was SU’s first loss in 12 games and a setback in perhaps the most difficult stretch of the Orange’s season.Syracuse fans, which as custom stand until the Orange (15-3, 3-1 Big East) convert its first basket of the game, were kept standing for more than five minutes before Terrence Roberts nailed a short jumper. During that span, UConn sophomore Rudy Gay drained a quick 3-pointer and slammed a breakaway dunk while his frontcourt mate, junior Josh Boone, proved to be a devastating interior presence with a layup and a dunk of his own.’We had all kinds of problems with patience in the first half,’ Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. ‘We couldn’t get things to go right for a long time. We just didn’t shoot the ball or take care of the ball well offensively, and that was the story of the ballgame.’SU was forced to play catch-up, and despite cutting the first-half lead to a single digit – junior forward Matt Gorman hit a 3-pointer with 8:45 left in the first half to drop UConn’s lead to 21-17 – UConn continued to answer. The Huskies (14-1, 3-1 Big East) recorded 19 unanswered points from 7:13 to 2:23. Huskies senior swingman Rashad Anderson had much to do with UConn extending the lead, including nine consecutive points and four 3-pointers.The Orange found its offense in the second half with junior swingman Demetris Nichols scoring 25 of his game-high 28 points. It even cut the Huskies lead to six points when freshman guard Eric Devendorf hit a 3-pointer with 29 seconds remaining. The Huskies converted the last-minute free throws, though, and the game was never in doubt.’We did have shots,’ Nichols said. ‘We got ourselves in a ditch. … We didn’t adjust to (UConn) like we were supposed to.’Normally when Syracuse scores 55 second-half points, it translates into a victory. But the Huskies displayed an up-tempo attack that countered seemingly every Orange field goal, comfortably maintaining the margin. Boone was the biggest factor, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Anderson led the team with 21 points.’It’s really hard because sometimes, like any team would, we try to get it back in one play,’ junior guard Louie McCroskey said of SU’s second half efforts. ‘As a whole, this is the first time that we’ve had a big game like this, and with the students back…Maybe guys got too antsy. It’s happened to me before. You get so excited to do well that when you get out there, it takes awhile to relax. The problem is, a team might get up on you ten or twenty points.’As good as the Huskies’ offense was, its defense was equally impressive. UConn swarmed the Orange, forcing 20 turnovers. UConn translated those turnovers into 26 points.Even when the Orange found the lane, the Huskies defense gulped SU’s attack. UConn’s feared front line – Gay, Boone and senior Hilton Armstrong – swallowed rebounds or forced turnovers and quickly found swift point guard Marcus Williams with an outlet pass to run the break. UConn averages nine blocks but eclipsed that total with 11 in the first half alone. The Huskies finished with 16 swats total, one shy of the record for a Big East game. Armstrong was particularly protective of UConn’s rim, registering eight blocks.’I’m sure (Boeheim) told them to attack us and try to get us in foul trouble, but we have to keep everyone away from the rim and block the shot,’ Armstrong said. ‘This is a great place to play. We got that 20-point lead and quieted the fans. Some of them left early and that’s what we came here to do.’Syracuse shifted to a press toward the second part of the second half but Connecticut showed why it’s considered among the top teams in the country. To make matters worse for the Orange, the schedule is not forgiving. SU has to travel to Villanova and Pittsburgh, both top 11 teams, but neither might present the challenge the Huskies presented on Monday.’This is a team that can beat anybody, any night, any place,’ Boeheim said of Connecticut. ‘I still think they’re the best team in the league. I think they’re the best team in the country.’