NEW YORK – Georgetown broke open a 36-21 lead by intermission and had the advantage going into the game’s final minute. But as Cincinnati and No. 1 Connecticut have already learned, there’s no stopping Syracuse senior guard Gerry cNamara when he wants to win.

McNamara scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half, at one point hitting three straight three-pointers during a 9-1 run, leading his team to a 58-57 win Friday night over the Hoyas at adison Square Garden.

McNamara came through for his team in the match’s closing seconds as well, hitting a trey with 48 seconds to play to close the game to 57-56. Then, following a bad pass turnover by senior Ashanti Cook, McNamara fed freshman Eric Devendorf for the decisive layup with nine ticks left.

“He put them on his back on and he willed them to win,” Head Coach John Thompson III said. “We wanted to make sure we were focusing on him, but it didn’t matter. He’s a real good player, he’s a senior and he’s decided he doesn’t want to lose.”

The semifinal match, played in front of 19,594 spectators, was truly a tale of two halves. The Hoyas (21-9) came out confidently, unlike in their first two tournament appearances when they failed to score for the first several minutes.

Georgetown shot 59 percent in the first period, tearing through Syracuse’s zone defense and having success on the perimeter. The Hoyas sank 7-of-13 from beyond the arc, paced by fifth-year Darrel Owens who hit 3-of-7.

Meanwhile, the Orange could only sink 2-of-8 long ball attempts at the other end, and McNamara had only one three-point try in the first 20 minutes. The 6-foot-2 senior looked exhausted early on and Georgetown took full advantage, rushing out to 5-0 lead

In the second half, however, McNamara got the first points out of the locker room to start Syracuse on a 7-0 run. The Hoyas, who had substantially less success on offense, slowly watched their lead disintegrate, shooting only 36 percent – compared to 54 percent for the Orange.

“In the second half their zone was a bit more tight,” said senior forward Brandon Bowman, who had a team-high 12 points. “We didn’t get the ball to the high post as much as we should. That was due to their defense. They were getting out, closing on the three-point line.”

With eight minutes to play, Georgetown had spent all but one of its timeouts – two got Owens and Cook out of trouble on the offensive end of the floor. Syracuse junior center Darryl Watkins put back a miss by Devendorf to close the game to one point, 47-46.

It wasn’t only ineffectiveness that plagued the Hoyas on offense, but errors as well. Georgetown missed five free throws down the stretch while holding on to a three-point lead, and three turnovers on its final possessions of the game.

“Every mistake we made in the second half, it seemed like they scored on,” Bowman said.

Sophomores Jeff Green and Jon Wallace added 10 points apiece. Roy Hibbert dropped in nine points and collected 13 boards.

Devendorf contributed 12 for Syracuse.

The 15-point halftime deficit overcome by Syracuse (22-11) was the largest ever in Big East conference tournament history. The Orange also became the first team in 17 tries to win a game after earning an overtime match the previous day.

Georgetown now awaits Selection Sunday, when the Hoyas will learn their destination and opponent for their first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 2001. That year, Georgetown lost to aryland in the Sweet 16, 76-66, after first-round wins over Arkansas and Hampton.