Final from Charlottesville: Virginia 72, Syracuse 59 — and once again, the formula was clear. The Orange go as Donnie Freeman goes, and on Saturday, Virginia made sure Syracuse never got comfortable. A physical Cavaliers defense dictated pace from the opening tip, shut down SU’s top options, and exposed an offense that struggled to find answers all night.
SU runs on Donnie
Syracuse goes as Donnie Freeman goes — and on Saturday, Virginia made sure he never got going.
Freeman struggled mightily in the loss, scoring a season-low five points on just 2-of-11 shooting. From the opening tip, he looked uncomfortable against Virginia’s physical, disciplined defense, often forced into tough looks late in the shot clock and kept out of his usual scoring spots.
With Syracuse’s leading scorer held in check, the Orange offense never found a rhythm. Ball movement stalled, spacing tightened, and easy buckets were hard to come by as SU managed just 59 points — a conference low.
The numbers tell the story. Syracuse is now just 1–6 this season when Freeman scores fewer than 20 points, underscoring just how much the Orange depend on him to generate offense and set the tone.
3 point struggles
The struggles didn’t stop there. Syracuse couldn’t buy a basket from deep, shooting just 27 percent from three-point range — their third-worst mark of the season. Misses piled up early and lingered throughout the night, preventing the Orange from building any offensive momentum or forcing Virginia to adjust its defensive approach.
Tyler Betsy, Syracuse’s most reliable perimeter shooter, was also held in check. He knocked down just one triple and spent much of the game fighting for space as Virginia stayed attached on the perimeter and closed out aggressively. The clean, catch-and-shoot looks that usually fuel SU’s offense were almost nonexistent, leaving Betsy and the rest of the Orange settling for contested attempts late in possessions.
Top-25 struggles
The loss only adds to the growing questions surrounding Adrian Autry’s tenure on the Hill. With the defeat, Syracuse fell to 2–10 against top-25 opponents under Autry, a record that continues to spotlight the program’s struggles against elite competition.
Since taking over, Autry has preached stability and player development, and there have been flashes of progress along the way. But consistency has remained elusive, especially in games against ranked opponents where execution, adjustments, and offensive rhythm have often fallen short.
As expectations remain high in Syracuse, patience is tested by results. And with losses like this continuing to pile up, the record against top-25 teams is becoming a defining — and increasingly scrutinized — part of Autry’s tenure.
