Sorry, Orange Nation. We well know the picture above will always hurt, albeit a big part of the sting was eased with the 2003 national championship in the same building.

We were sitting courtside just to the right of the Indiana bench in the then-Louisiana Superdome on the evening of Monday, March 30, 1987, anchoring our statewide radio network broadcast of the '87 Final Four.

With SU up 73-72 with 28 seconds left and Derrick Coleman headed to the foul line for a 1-and-1 opportunity, we distinctly remember sharing glances and a "maybe SU is going to win the title" look with the late program booster and close Jim Boeheim friend Bill Rapp, who kept the official Syracuse scorebook for games in that era. But it was not to be.

Alas, after Coleman missed the front end, and with SU defenders back on defense, the Hoosiers raced down to set up the final sequence and we all know that Keith Smart's shot took care of matters with four seconds left, as Hall of Famer Bob Knight defeated Hall of Famer Boeheim.

Beginning two seasons later and right up until the 2021-22 campaign, there have been six SU wins over IU coming in distinctly different fashions in the six games played, from blowouts to double overtime, but always a 'Cuse win, almost like its own curse set on the Hoosiers program.

Monday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (6:30 p.m. ET / FS1), it will be a tall task for the Orange (2-0) with a rebuilt roster playing its third game together, against the Hoosiers (2-0) who received votes in this week's Top 25 polls. It is a made-for-TV, non-conference matchup that fits Gerry McNamara's vision of an early season mix of winnable games at home, and challenging contests on the road.

The "Poetic Justice" Tour

Here is a capsule look back on the six Syracuse Indiana games played since the 1987 title game defeat:

1988 - This game will forever be remembered for the Sherman Douglas' hike-between-his-legs pass to Stevie Thompson for a dunk that wowed the crowd on route to a 102-78 rout.

1990 - In a game ending in the early monring hours eastern time, the Orangmen held off IU in Maui 77-74 behind 28 points from Billy Owens.

1998 - The 'Cuse again won the Maui title over Indiana by pulling past the Hoosiers in the second half of a 76-63 victory. Five SU players hit double figures, including Jason Hart with 17 points.

2013 - One of the most unsung, late blooming Boeheim teams (a fourth seed) compleley flummoxed top-seed Indiana with its 2-3 zone in an NCAA Sweet 16 game in Washington, winning 61-50. Michael Carter-Williams had 24 of the team's 61 points.

2013 - Ranked 4th nationally, SU had a big second half 25-4 run to blow open its ACC/Big Ten Challenge game with IU in the Dome. Trevor Cooney had 12 of his team-high 21 points during the second half run to lead SU to the 69-52 victory.

2021 - In a wild, double overtime affair in the Dome, Boeheim's final game coaching against Indiana resulted in a 112-110 win, when Joe Girard raced downcourt and was fouled shooting, and hit two free throws to clinch the win. Girard (22) and Buddy (27) and Jimmy Boeheim (26) combined for 75 points.

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