ROSEMONT, Ill. – Years from now people will be talking about what the Carrier Dome was like on March 5, 2006, when a guard named Gerry McNamara played his final game there.

They’ll start by recalling how the Dome was sold out in advance of a game for the first time in its history.

They’ll continue by describing the charged atmosphere of a new on-campus attendance record crowd, breaking the mark of 33,199 set 13 months earlier against Notre Dame on Feb. 5, 2005.

But how they’ll finish their story is yet to be determined. There aren’t always happy endings.

See, the No. 4 team the country and one likely to receive a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament – Villanova – is SU’s opponent at noon on Sunday. The Wildcats beat the Orange, 80-65, on Jan. 21 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia and still have a chance to secure the first seed for the Big East tournament that starts Wednesday. They likely won’t have much sympathy.

As for the Orange (19-10, 7-8 Big East), Thursday night’s embarrassing 108-69 loss to DePaul leaves a desperate Syracuse stuck on 19 wins. A win over DePaul could have allowed the Orange a chance to somewhat enjoy McNamara’s send-off on Sunday, but now it could only be a distraction.

‘We put ourselves in a bigger hole than we were already in,’ McNamara said. ‘So we have some work to do on Sunday because we need it.’

But that it is McNamara’s final home game will serve as motivation for at least one Syracuse player – freshman guard Eric Devendorf, who has looked up to McNamara as much as anyone this season.

‘I want to play a good game for Gerry,’ Devendorf said. ‘I want to have him leave on a good note, so hopefully we can get a win for him. He’s had a great career.’

McNamara certainly has his work cut out for him. In the first meeting against Villanova (23-3, 13-2), he didn’t attempt a 3-pointer in what would be the first of two times in his career. The senior was limited to four points on 1-of-8 shooting by the Wildcats’ speedy four-guard lineup that prevented him from coming around screens freely. While he posted seven assists, he also had six turnovers as Villanova pulled away in the second half.

That game was played in front of the largest crowd ever to watch a college basketball game in the state of Pennsylvania, and the crowd certainly worked against SU to some degree. Still, Boeheim, for one, does not consider the McNamara-adoring crowd a factor on Sunday.

‘We have to play – fans I don’t think can score or rebound and play defense, at least that I can remember,’ Boeheim said. ‘If we play like we did tonight, we’ll get beat the same way Sunday.’

Traditionally, Syracuse has fared well in the highest attendance games at the Carrier Dome. Of the 10 highest before Sunday, the Orange is 8-2, including three wins against teams in the top 10.

McNamara has played in the top two attendance games ever. He scored 22 points against Notre Dame last year in Hakim Warrick’s day in the sun, but only 11 against Rutgers on March 9, 2003, in Carmelo Anthony’s final home game in front of 33,071.

Now it’s McNamara turn.

‘That’s his day that day,’ Devendorf said. ‘We haven’t really talked about it. But I love playing with Gerry – he’s a great teammate and a great friend. It’s going to be sad when he’s not here anymore.’

Then again, if in the worst-case scenario Syracuse fails to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, it will likely be back on Jim Boeheim Court for the opening rounds of the NIT. So maybe it won’t be McNamara’s final game at home after all.

Either way, the memory will last years for fans.

But as for the players, they could care less right now.

‘The crowd will help a little bit,’ forward Arinze Onuaku said. ‘But it depends on whether we come out ready to play.’

Published on March 2, 2006 at 12:00 pm