Boeheim Wins 900th; No. 3 Syracuse 72, Detroit 68 Jim Boeheim called it just another number. The message board in the Carrier Dome didn't agree. Moments after his third-ranked Syracuse Orange held off Detroit for a 72-68 victory Monday night in the Gotham Classic, making Boeheim just the third Division I men's coach to reach 900 wins, Hall of Famer Dave Bing, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Louisville's Rick Pitino offered congratulations on the big screens inside the Teflon dome as the hometown faithful cheered. Boeheim, 68 and in his 37th year at his alma mater, is 900-304 and joined an elite fraternity. Krzyzewski (936) and Bob Knight (902) are the only other men's Division I coaches to win that many games. "To me, it's just a number," said Boeheim, whose first victory was against Harvard in 1976. If I get 900, have I got to get more? That's why maybe it's just not that important to me because to me it's just a number, and the only number that matters is how this team does. So far, it's done OK. James Southerland had 22 points for Syracuse (10-0), which increased its home winning streak to 30 games, longest in the nation. Detroit (6-5), which lost 77-74 at St. John's in the second game of the season and 74-61 at Pitt earlier this month, had its four-game winning streak snapped. Bing, Boeheim's college roommate, teammate and fellow Hall of Famer, and Roosevelt Bouie, a star on Boeheim's first team in 1976-77, were in the Carrier Dome crowd of 17,902. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim talks with Michael Carter-Williams during the first half against Detroit in an NCAA college basketball game in Syracuse, N.Y., Monday, Dec. 17, 2012. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli) Close Bing was standing tall in the locker room after the game. "Nobody would have thought when we came here 50 years ago that either one of us would have had the kind of success we've had," said Bing, today the mayor of Detroit. I'm so pleased and proud of him because he stuck with it. He's proven that he's one of the best coaches ever in college basketball, and he'll be No. 2 shortly. After a victory that nearly was short-circuited, Boeheim was presented a jersey encased in glass with 900 emblazoned on it. I'm happy. I've stayed around long enough. I was a little nervous," Boeheim said at center court. I'm proud to be here. To win this game is more pressure than I've felt in a long time. I wasn't thinking about losing until the end. That wouldn't have been a good thing to happen, but it very well could have. Indeed. Midway through the second half with Syracuse dominating, fans were given placards featuring cardboard cutouts of Boeheim's face with 900 wins printed on the back to wave in celebration. But when the public address announcer in the Carrier Dome invited fans to stick around for the postgame ceremony, the Titans roared back. Juwan Howard Jr., who finished with 18 points, scored 14 over the last 6 minutes to key a 16-0 run, his two free throws pulling Detroit within 67-63 with 55.1 seconds left after the Titans had trailed by 20 with 6:09 to play. "You know what, I didn't hear it, but the players probably heard because they sure came alive," Detroit coach Ray McCallum said. This is a big stage. Guys sitting around the hotel watching television getting ready to play the No. 3 team in the country and they're talking about going for 900 wins, coach Boeheim. That's a lot for a young man to digest. Michael Carter-Williams hit three of four free throws in the final seconds to secure the win. Michael made big-time free throws you've got to make. If he misses a couple, it's a new game. That was the difference," Boeheim said. We have not been in that situation. Hopefully, we'll learn from that.