After a winless showing at the Player’s Era Tournament in Las Vegas, Syracuse Basketball returned home and took down #13 Tennessee 62-60 in what was one of its biggest wins in years.
The story heading into this one was clear: under Autry, the Orange were just 2–16 against quadrant-one opponents before their trip to Las Vegas. Three more losses there dropped them to 2–19. It was do-or-die time, and SU delivered.
Playing without star forward Donnie Freeman for a fourth straight game, the Orange still jumped out to a 32–30 halftime lead. Early in the second half, they extended that advantage to nine, their largest of the night, before the Volunteers answered with a 10–0 run to reclaim a 51–50 lead. But SU fought back once again, ultimately securing an upset victory.
Offensively, the ‘Cuse rode an electric 19-point first half performance from Nate Kingz, but it was JJ Starling who took charge down the stretch. The senior guard scored 11 second-half points on a highly efficient 71% from the field. He also delivered one of the game’s biggest shots — a go-ahead three with three minutes left that put the Orange up by two.
One of Syracuse’s biggest strengths this season has been its play on the defensive end, and that continued today. The Orange held one of the nation’s top offenses to just 60 points on a slim 41% shooting. Both were season lows for the Volunteers. They also managed to hold standouts Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament to a combined 31% from the field.
It’s no secret that the charity stripe has been an Achilles’ heel for SU early on. Entering tonight’s matchup, the team was shooting just 57% from the line. Despite those struggles, William Kyle rose to the moment, sinking the second of two free throws to put the Orange up one with 13 seconds remaining.
Once Syracuse had officially held Tennessee at bay and the final buzzer sounded, the fans stormed the court.
With its thrilling win over Tennessee behind them, the Orange now look ahead to a matchup with Saint Joseph’s on Thursday at the Dome.
