March Madness Arrives In Manhattan As Fans Cheer On Villanova, Syracuse
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- March Madness made its way to Manhattan on Friday night with Villanova and Syracuse fans turning out in force at alumni watch parties in the city, hoping to see their teams advance to the Elite 8.
As CBS2's Jessica Layton reported, you couldn't' even move inside the Brazen Fox on Third Avenue. It was packed shoulder-to-shoulder as the East's No. 1 seeded Wildcats took on the fifth seeded Mountaineers, of West Virginia.
Favorites have been going down since the start of the tournament, busting brackets left and right. The game was close for a while, but Villanova pulled away in the end, winning 90 to 78 and creating a huge celebration.
"Being able to watch such a special moment with my friends, my dad went to Villanova, too, so it's nice to be able to just watch the games together," one fan said.
Over in Midtown, Syracuse grads packed the Beer Authority, sporting their orange pride as the Midwest's 11th seed took on No. 2 seeded Duke.
The Big Orange, who surprised many by even making the tournament, kept it close for a lot of the game, but the Blue Devils hung on in a thriller, winning 69 to 65.
Still, it was a fun Friday night for hoops fans as the madness continues.
"Everyone knows when it's a big moment and everyone knows when to kind of bring the spirit up," said one fan.
"We're out here in the city, we think we're away from Syracuse, but really the Big Apple is always the Big Orange," another added.
Sadly, the season is over for Syracuse, while Villanova advances to the Elite 8.