Orange Fall to Boston College in Overtime

Saturday, January 17

Chestnut Hill, MA

2:00 PM

Syracuse University

12-6,3-2ACC

Boston College

8-10,1-4ACC

OT 1

Syracuse

Boston College

1/17/2026 4:46:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Nate Kingz delivered a season-high 27 points but Syracuse (12-6, 3-2 ACC) fell to Boston College (8-10, 1-4 ACC), 81-73, at Conte Forum on Saturday afternoon.

Kingz drilled 5-of-6 (.833) shots from 3-point range, marking a new season-high. Sophomore Donnie Freeman posted his first double-double of the season in the matchup, tallying 19 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Senior J.J. Starling chipped in 12 points and added three steals in the contest.

Boston College saw four players score in double figures, with Fred Payne leading the way with 26 points, including four 3-pointers.

How the Game Was Decided
Tied at 64 after regulation, Boston College seized control in overtime with an 8-2 run over the first three minutes to take a 72-66 lead. The Eagles shot 4-of-5 (.800) to start the extra period while Syracuse managed just 1-of-4 (.250).

Kingz refused to go away quietly, converting a layup while drawing a foul to earn a three-point play to bring the Orange back within three points.

Yet, the Orange could not overcome the early overtime deficit as the Eagles knocked down 9-of-10 (.900) free throws over the final 1:30 of overtime to seal up the win.

Early Run from the Orange
Senior William Kyle III got Syracuse started with a crafty layup, then blocked a shot on the defensive end before finishing another layup to give the Orange their first four points. Senior Nate Kingz added a 3-pointer, but Boston College kept it close at 7-6 nearly five minutes in.

Syracuse then broke things open with an 8-0 run over a two-minute stretch. Junior Naithan George hit a corner 3-pointer to spark the surge before Donnie Freeman took over, scoring five straight points including a three-point play to push the lead to 15-6 with 12:42 left in the half.

The Syracuse defense clamped down during the run, forcing two turnovers while holding Boston College scoreless over the stretch.

First Half Defensive Battle
After a Boston College 3-pointer at the 11:50 mark, neither team scored a field goal for nearly five minutes. The Eagles used the free throw line to chip away, going 5-of-6 (.833) before Chase Forte's 3-pointer gave them their first lead at 19-18 with 6:57 left in the half.

Syracuse quickly answered with Kingz hitting a pair of free throws and George delivering 3-pointer to snap the drought. The Orange opened up a 31-24 advantage before BC trimmed the deficit to 33-28 at halftime. Freeman led Syracuse with 10 points at the break.

The Orange defense held Boston College to just 8-of-28 (.286) shooting and forced four turnovers. Boston College's two leading scorers, Donald Hand Jr. and Payne, combined to shoot just 4-of-15 (.267) in the opening half. Kyle III recorded two blocks before the break.

Kingz Gets Hot from Deep in the Second Half
The defensive trends from the first half persisted to start the second half, neither team finding a rhythm on the offensive end. After five minutes of play, the Orange led 44-38.

Syracuse experienced another scoring drought and Boston College capitalized with nine unanswered points to take a 47-44 lead.

Kingz kept the Orange within reach, tying the game with a 3-pointer at 10:52 before draining his fifth triple a minute later to give Syracuse a 51-47 edge. The teams then traded baskets before leveling at 55 apiece.

Eagles Storm Back to Force Overtime
With just less than five minutes to go and the contest knotted up at 55-55, Kingz continued his offensive outburst with a layup that drew a foul before knocking down a free throw to give Syracuse a 58-55 edge.

Following Kingz's three-point play, the Syracuse defense dialed up the pressure, forcing the Eagles to take contested looks that resulted in three consecutive Eagle misses. The Orange padded their lead when Freeman knocked down a pair of free throws and a layup to give them a 62-55 advantage.

Boston College had another answer, though, with Boden Kapke knocking down a midrange turnaround jumper before Hand Jr. drained a deep 3-pointer to bring the Eagles within two at 62-60 with 1:35 to go.

The Orange turned to Kingz again as he navigated through traffic before putting in a layup. The Eagles responded and hit a free throw on the ensuing possession to bring it back to a three-point game at 64-61.

After a 3-pointer miss from Kapke, Freeman grabbed the defensive rebound before he was fouled to go to the line for a one-and-one with 18 ticks left in regulation. He missed the shot, and Boston College grabbed the rebound, giving the Eagles a chance to tie. Hand Jr. delivered, hitting a 3-pointer from with seven seconds left to force overtime.

Notable Numbers

Freeman grabbed eight rebounds in the first 20 minutes, putting him one shy of his season-high for a full contest.
Syracuse outrebounded the Eagles, 40-38.
The Orange scored 36 points in the paint.
Kyle III recorded three blocks in the effort, his 10^th game with three or more rejections.
Kingz has hit at least one 3-pointer in seven consecutive games, including all five ACC tilts.
Starling logged 42 minutes, a new career high.

Up Next
The Orange return home next week, taking on Virginia Tech for a Wednesday matchup at the JMA Wireless Dome. The game against the Hokies will tip off at 9:00 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).