Syracuse Trounces Stonehill in Non-Conference Finale

Monday, December 22

Syracuse, N.Y.

7:00 PM

Syracuse University

9-4,0-0ACC

Stonehill College

3-10,0-0NEC

Stonehill

Syracuse

Syracuse Trounces Stonehill in Non-Conference Finale

12/22/2025 9:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Highlights Adrian Autry Press Conference Starling Interview George Interview Photo Gallery

Syracuse (9-4) used defense to limit Stonehill (3-10) in a 77-48 victory Monday evening at the JMA Wireless Dome. The Orange held the Skyhawks to just 14-of-53 (.264) from the field and kept the visitors below 50 points in a dominant defensive performance.

Senior J.J. Starling etched his name into the Syracuse record books in the winning effort, becoming the 67^th player in program history to score 1,000 points with the program. He finished with a season-high 20 points on 8-of-17 (.471) shooting while leading the team with four assists.

Junior Naithan George led the team in scoring for the second consecutive game with 22 points and three assists. Senior Nate Kingz added 13 points and seven rebounds and freshman Sadiq White Jr. finished with 13 points and nine boards. William Kyle III led both teams with 10 boards and added three blocks.

How the Game Was Decided
Leading 52-41 with just under nine minutes to go in the second half, the Orange embarked on a 23-4 run over a seven-minute stretch to put the Skyhawks in the rearview mirror. White Jr. had seven points and Starling six during the run.

Syracuse's defense stepped up during the same period, holding the Skyhawks to 1-7 (.143) from the field.

Starling Makes History Early to Kickstart the Offense
Entering the contest just seven points off 1,000 points in his career, Starling wasted no time reaching the mark. The veteran guard sliced through the Stonehill defense for a layup on the opening possession before burying a 3-point shot on the ensuing possession to get the Orange rolling early.

Needing two points to reach the threshold, Starling threw down an emphatic one-handed slam just moments later on a breakaway to secure his 1,000th career point in a Syracuse uniform.

Starling scored seven of the Orange's first 10 points, hitting all three of his attempts from the field in the opening two-and-a-half minutes.

Syracuse got out to a quick start from 3-point range, connecting on 4-of-7 (.571) shots from beyond the arc early. Starling's 3-pointer kicked off a string of triples, with George drilling two and White Jr. connecting on another.

The offense stalled a bit, but the guard duo of George and Starling kept its foot on the gas to keep the Orange ahead. George led the scoring with 14 points on 5-of-7 (.714) shooting with Starling close behind with 13 points on 6-of-10 (.600) from the floor, at the intermission.

Defensive First Half
The Orange silenced the Skyhawks for the first 20 minutes of the game, holding Stonehill to just 9-of-29 (.310) shooting from the floor.

Syracuse's interior defense stifled Stonehill in the opening half, limiting the Skyhawks to just four points in the paint. Kyle III and Souare each recorded two blocks, while White Jr. and Anthony added one apiece to give the Orange six rejections at the break. Syracuse also capitalized on seven Stonehill turnovers, converting them into 13 points.

The Skyhawks stayed within striking distance by connecting on six 3-pointers, but the Orange took a 39-27 lead into halftime.

Orange Extend Margin
Following the intermission, Syracuse used defense to add to its lead. The Orange held Stonehill to just 21 second-half points over the final 20 minutes. The Skyhawks converted 5-of-24 (.208) from the field, including 3-of-12 (.250) on 3-point tries, in the second half.

Notable Numbers

Syracuse had a 27-3 advantage in points off turnovers.
This was the first time this season the Orange had two players score 20 points or more, with George (20) and Starling (22) reaching the mark.
Syracuse won the battle down low, scoring 36 points in the paint to Stonehill's eight.
The Orange connected on five consecutive field goals to start the game.
Four different players hit 3-pointers in the first half as the Orange shot 5-of-11 (.455) over the stretch.
George tied his season-high in 3-pointers made with two in the opening five minutes.
The Orange forced 15 turnovers in the triumph.
Syracuse tied a season-high with 12 blocks, matching the mark set in the victory over Delaware State.

Up Next
The Orange will have just over a week off before starting ACC-play when they take on Clemson at the JMA Wireless Dome on December 31. The game is set to tip off at 2 p.m. and air on ACC Network.

Syracuse 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).

Gallery: (12-22-2025) MBB vs Stonehill