Syracuse basketball legend Pearl Washington died on Wednesday at age 52 after battling a brain tumor he was diagnosed with last summer. In Washington’s three-year college career, he scored 1,490 points and is considered one of the greatest players in SU history.

Here are the top five moments of Washington’s Syracuse career:

1. “The Shot”

Jan. 21, 1984

Pearl Washington made national headlines and cemented his legend in a game against Boston College inside the Carrier Dome. Martin Clark of BC made a free throw to tie the game with only seconds left on the game clock. But Clark missed the second. Washington got the rebound, raced down the court and let a shot fly from half court as time expired. He made it. As the ball left his hands and eventually went in the basket, Washington continued running all the way to the locker room. Washington had hit “The Shot” and sent the Carrier Dome into a frenzy.

2. Court stormed after upsetting Georgetown

Jan. 28, 1985

Washington did it again. This time he hit a free-throw line jumper with eight seconds remaining, giving No. 9 Syracuse a 65-63 victory over No. 2 Georgetown in the Carrier Dome. The game ended the Hoyas’ road winning streak at 26 games. Georgetown had a chance to win the game in the closing seconds after Washington’s jump shot put Syracuse ahead 64-63. But a long Georgetown inbounds pass sailed high with six seconds left. The Hoyas then put Washington on the line, and he made one of two with four seconds remaining. Georgetown then missed a 35-foot desperation heave. That made the more than 32,000 fans in the Carrier Dome go wild, as many stormed the court. Earlier in the game, the fans had disrupted the game by throwing oranges onto the floor.

3. 1986 Big East tournament

March 6-8, 1986

Washington was named tournament MVP even though Syracuse lost in the championship game to St. John’s. He had a tendency to shine in big games, especially at Madison Square Garden in his hometown of New York City. In the three-game stretch in March of 1986, Washington totaled 68 points and 29 assists. His 21 points in a 75-73 win over Georgetown in the semifinal was just another one of his clutch performances.

4. Taking a swing at Patrick Ewing

March 8, 1985

Syracuse eventually lost to Georgetown 74-65 in the 1985 Big East tournament semifinal but just six minutes in, the 6-foot-2 Washington threw a haymaker at 7-foot Patrick Ewing’s midsection. Ewing responded by swinging back with his right hand as the benches emptied and players poured onto the court during the scuffle. The Hoyas were the No. 1 team in the country at the time while SU was unranked and Washington’s early behavior sent a message.

For highlights from the game, skip to 1:58

5. Eighteen assists in one game

Feb. 27, 1984

Still just a freshman, Washington continued dazzling as Syracuse’s point guard after grabbing national attention with his buzzer-beater against Boston College weeks earlier. In a game against St. John’s, Washington finished with 18 assists, breaking an SU record at the time. The game went into overtime and Syracuse squeaked out the 82-81 victory. Not only could Washington break down defenders and finish at the rim with his dynamite crossover, he could deliver to open teammates, as well.

Published on April 20, 2016 at 12:45 pm

Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds