HOUSTON — As the Syracuse fans made their way out of sections 103 and 104 at NRG Stadium on Saturday night, they all heard the same questions.

“Tickets? Got any tickets for Monday?”

Monday, when the NCAA Division I men’s basketball national championship will be held. It’s a game the Orange won’t be participating in, thanks to its 83-66 loss to North Carolina in the Final Four on Saturday.

The ticket-seekers were hoping to find Orange fans who had pre-purchased tickets to the championship — tickets they would no longer need. A few fans began to cut deals, but most either ignored the requests or politely declined. It represented what was largely a somber mood inside and outside of the stadium among SU fans following the Orange’s loss.

The fans began to file out of NRG Stadium with a few minutes left in the game, when the Orange faced a seemingly insurmountable 77-64 deficit. Decked in Syracuse gear, most fans wore looks of disappointment on their faces.

Tears filled the eyes of a few young fans. One middle-aged man ripped the orange bead necklace he was wearing and threw it into a nearby trashcan.

“The walk of shame, man,” another fan said. “The walk of shame.”

Not far away, Juli Boeheim, the wife of Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, made her way through the lower concourse. After a few moments, an older woman approached her.

“I’m so sorry, sweetie,” the woman, who appeared to be a friend, said to Boeheim as she offered a hug.

To those around her, Boeheim reflected on the loss — particularly the rebounds and the loose balls that always seemed to fall into the hands of a North Carolina player, rather than a Syracuse one.

“They got every break,” she said. “Everything.”

She wondered aloud when they would be able to leave in the morning, given that the weather was supposed to be “really bad” in Syracuse.

Moments later, Boeheim and a swarm of others found their way outside.

That’s where, for North Carolina fans, it was the start of a celebration. For Syracuse fans, though, it was quite the opposite.

One UNC fan approached a group of sad Syracuse ones to boast over the game, which he reminded the SU fans was the third time this season the Tar Heels have topped the Orange.

“Go Tar Heels, all day baby. All freakin’ day,” he said, before promptly dabbing in front of the Syracuse fans.

Several feet away, more Syracuse fans were getting asked if they had tickets to sell.

One, unlike most of those who were inside, pulled two tickets out of his back pocket and began to negotiate with the ticket-seeker.

“$375,” the Syracuse fan said, offering a price.

“$325.”

“$370.”

A look of exasperation spread across the ticket-seeker’s face.

“My team just lost,” the Syracuse fan said with a slight grin. “I need to get my money’s worth.”

Eventually, they settled on a price.

“Thanks for the tickets, but sorry about the loss,” the ticket-seeker said to the Syracuse fan. “Great season though, good run.”

“Not good enough,” the Syracuse fan replied, before walking away from NRG Stadium, away from the Final Four and away from the Syracuse men’s basketball team’s 2015-16 season.

Published on April 3, 2016 at 3:01 am

Contact Michael: mdburk01@syr.edu