So there are two stories from last night's Syracuse-UConn game, but I'm going to start with the good one first, because I'm tired of talking about possible knee injuries.

Don't trust us, just look at the game tape. Syracuse is for real. Or, as a fan's signature proudly says, "No longer women's basketball's punching bag."

Syracuse's head coach Quentin Hillsman has his team playing fearless basketball, and they did what few other teams have done this season -- hold a lead on UConn. 4,221 fans, the largest crowd in 'cuse women's basketball history, watched and roared as they did it for almost twenty minutes. Erica Morrow looked unconscious from behind the arc, Chandrea Jones seemed to own the paint, and while Nicole Michael and her teammates drove through the Huskies suddenly plodding defense, staking the Orange to a 36-32 halftime lead.

Unfortunately, said Hillsman, UConn "just kept coming." Maya Moore awakened from her first half no-point slumber to score 13 points and grab 13 rebounds in the second and put the Huskies ahead. But, even when Syracuse fell behind, they didn't fold. Instead, they whittled a 10-point deficit to two with 1:14 showing on the clock.

Then Tina Charles recovered from her nightmare of game for a moment to record a key block, and the conundrum that is Charde Houston came up with a key basket and steal in the waning moments to secure a UConn victory, 65-59.

But it may not be so sweet. In the 38th minute of play, UConn's Mel Thomas went to the floor in obvious pain, the culprit a knee injury. What form is still to be revealed, but Connecticut fans must now wonder if this team must try and do what the 2001 UConn team did -- succeed after losing two starters.