This Syracuse matchup was a prelude to an unexpected Final Four run

The teams renew acquaintances Saturday in Philly, but in the 1996 season SU faced Drexel in a second-round NCAA game on route to an out-of-nowhere trip to the national championship game.

Syracuse's John Wallace slams home two points during the first half of the Orangemen's game against Providence Wednesday, February 9, 1995 at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. Syracuse Vs Providence | SHAWN DOWD/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Democrat and Chronicle via Imagn Content Services, LLC

When Syracuse (2-0) resumes its 2025-26 season Saturday with a road matchup against Drexel (1-2) as part of a college hoops doubleheader (La Salle-Penn State) at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia (3:30 p.m. ET / Peacock), it will be the sixth meeting between the schools with SU holding a 4-1 all-time mark, the last win coming in the Dome in 2021.

The one upset loss occurred early in the crazy 2006-07 season in which the team finished with a 24-11 record, but failed to make the NCAA field. The Orange falling at home in an OOC game to Drexel 84-59 certainly hurt their cause for a bid.

The first time the programs met was also on a neutral court, but the stakes were certainly much higher than the third game of a season, in which the goal for Adrian Autry is to win away from home and keep developing his newly designed team.

Favorite Syracuse knew Drexel was going to be a tough test in '96 NCAA game

Syracuse, at 24-8, earned the 4th seed in the NCAA West Regional in 1996, coming off a semifinal loss to Connecticut in the Big East Tournament, and was sent to Albuquerque. That was the site of two monumental 'Cuse wins in Jim Boeheim's second season coaching in 1977's Lobo Invitational over Mississippi State and the host Lobos, in one of the toughest (to this day) arenas for a visiting team to play - The Pit.

In their NCAA opener, SU got by Montana State in pretty convincing fashion 88-55, setting up a second-round meeting against an unexpected foe in 12th seed Drexel. In one of those 5/12 games that have become popular to pick annually in March Madness brackets, the Dragons upset 5th seed Memphis 75-63 to advance to meet Syracuse.

Drexel was dangerous, with a 27-3 record having won their regular season and postseason titles in the North Atlantic Conference, and featured future NBA forward Malik Rose, considered the best player in Drexel's program history.

The teams went back-and-forth for the first half, the game tied at 24 at halftime, before the SU 2-3 zone turned up the pressure in the second half. Orange big men Otis Hill and J.B. Reafsnyder were able to battle Rose in the paint, he had 15 boards but just 11 points after scoring 22 against Memphis.

SU point guard Lazarus Sims had a big game in the second half finishing with 12 points, including three treys and seven assists, while John Wallace, who essentially hoisted the team on his back all the way from Albuquerque, to Denver, to the Final Four at the N.J. Meadowlands, dominated down low finishing with a game-high 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five blocked shots as SU eventually advanced with a 69-58 victory.

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