For a 3-minute stretch in the second half, Wisconsin didn't miss a 3-point attempt.
In the final 3 seconds, the Badgers missed one from long range that could have been the game-winner.
C.J. Fair broke out of a scoring slump with 15 points to lead top-seeded Syracuse to a 64-63 victory over fourth-seeded Wisconsin on Thursday night in the East Regional semifinals.
The matchup of contrasting defensive styles ended with Syracuse a win away from the Final Four. The Badgers headed home after coming up short on their last possession despite putting on quite a display from 3-point range against the Orange's 2-3 zone.
"We got an awful lot of good looks and we took them," Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said. "We don't put a number on things, but we know some teams that played well against them, stretched them, made some 3s. We could have finished on a couple more buckets inside, but we took what they gave us, and that's how we survive. That's how our teams do what they do. They're pretty resilient."
Fair finished with 15 points — five fewer than he had in the last six games combined — on 7-of-9 shooting. The Orange scored 11 more than the Badgers allowed on average in leading Division I.
Syracuse shot 55 percent from the field, well above the 38.5 percent Wisconsin gave up this season, and the Orange were 5 of 9 from 3-point range, much better than the 28.8 percent the Badgers allowed.
All those numbers mean the Orange (34-2) will play second-seeded Ohio State (30-7) in the regional final Saturday with a trip to New Orleans at stake.
"I can't tell you how good it feels to win a game like this," coach Jim Boeheim said. "This was a great, great game."
And it wasn't decided until Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor missed a 3-pointer with 3 seconds left. Josh Gasser corralled the rebound but his toss toward the basket was off at the buzzer.
"It was on line, and I felt like I got my legs into it," Taylor said. "I knew it was a deep 3, but it felt good, and then to see it kind of come up short was kind of heartbreaking."
-fdlreporter
