Orange Outlast #13/13 Tennessee

Tuesday, December 2

Syracuse, N.Y.

7 PM

Syracuse University

5-3,0-0ACC

Tennessee

7-2,0-0SEC

Tennessee

Syracuse

12/2/2025 9:56:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

William Kyle III free throw with 13 seconds left, followed by a defensive stop and free throw by Sadiq White Jr., pushed Syracuse (5-3) by #13/13 Tennessee (7-2), 62-60, in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Tuesday night in the JMA Wireless Dome.

It was the Orange's first win over a top-15 opponent since Syracuse topped #7 North Carolina on February 13, 2024.

The late win was aided by a late charge from senior guard J.J. Starling, who scored five of the final seven points in the triumph. Syracuse was paced by redshirt senior Nate Kingz, who scored all 19 of his points in the first half.

The Orange limited Tennessee, who entered the game averaging 85.9 points per outing, to a season-low 60 points.

How the Game Was Decided
With just over three minutes remaining, the Orange trailed, 56-55. Needing a big bucket, Starling delivered, knocking down a go-ahead three-pointer and then converted a contested layup that moved Syracuse ahead, 60-56.

The visiting Volunteers used baskets from Jaylen Carey and Bishop Boswell to tie things at 60-60 with 38 ticks left. On the ensuing Syracuse possession, Starling found senior William Kyle III cutting to the basket and the senior big-man drew the foul to send him to the line. After missing the front end, he knocked down the second shot to provide SU with a 61-60 lead.

After advancing the ball and calling timeout with nine seconds remaining, Tennessee attacked the basket. Carey missed in the lane and White Jr. grabbed the board and was fouled. His free throw secured the win.

Back-and-Forth First Half
The Orange jumped out to a 5-1 lead, thanks to a defensive effort that held the Vols without a basket until four minutes in. The opening half eventually featured eight ties and 12 lead changes, with neither team able to move ahead by more than four.

Kingz produced for the Orange, hitting 6-of-10 from the field, including two 3-pointers, and 5-of-6 from the line in a 19-point half that exceeded his previous career-best at Syracuse. Tennessee kept close, thanks in part to Carey's 10 points.

As time was expiring in the half, sophomore Tyler Betsey grabbed a miss under the net and converted a layup at the buzzer to give Syracuse a 32-30 edge heading into the break.

Firing Out of the Break
Coming out of the half, the Orange came out firing, going on a 10-4 run featuring a few high-flying dunks to ignite the home crowd at the JMA Wireless Dome.

In the early stages of the second half, Starling picked up a steal and threw down a dunk in transition while junior Naithan George found White Jr. for an alley-oop slam. Just a couple of possessions later, Starling teamed up with Kyle III to throw down another lob as the Orange put their foot on the gas.

Syracuse played suffocating defense in the opening stages of the half as well, holding the Volunteers to just 1-of-6 (.167) shooting. Kyle III refused to let Tennessee find a rhythm on offense picking up two blocks during the stretch.

Notable Numbers

The victory is also Syracuse's first over the Volunteers since 1993.
Kingz's 19 points in the first half was the most by a Syracuse player in a half since Starling scored 21 points against Youngstown State in November of 2024.
Kyle III recorded finished with six blocks in a game for the second time this season.
The Volunteers got into foul trouble early in the first half, with 12 team fouls in the opening half.
Neither team found much luck from beyond the arc to start, with both teams shooting a combined 5-of-22 (.227) from distance in the opening half.
Syracuse scored 24 points off turnovers compared to Tennessee's 10.
Tennessee shot 24-of-58 (.414) from the field, its second lowest shooting percentage of the year.
Syracuse has now started 5-0 at home in three consecutive seasons.

Up Next
The Orange will have some time off before their next game with the next matchup coming on December 11 against Saint Joseph's at the JMA Wireless Dome. The game is set to start at 9 p.m. and will air on ACC Network.

Tickets
Season and individual tickets are available at cuse.com/feature/basketball-tickets

For complete coverage of Syracuse men's basketball, follow the team on X (@Cuse_MBB) and Instagram (cuse_mbb).