Bold claim: Syracuse’s last-minute rally stunned the No. 13 Tennessee Volunteers, 62-60, proving the Orange can topple ranked foes and steal a game when it counts. And this is the part most people miss: it wasn’t just a single moment of luck, but a composed, disciplined effort that built to a dramatic finish.
Syracuse fought to a pivotal victory at the JMA Wireless Dome, as William Kyle delivered a crucial free throw sequence and sparked a late defensive stand to seal the win. Kyle, who had struggled at the foul line all season, missed his first attempt but calmly buried the second to put Syracuse ahead 61-60 with 13.8 seconds remaining. The Orange then forced Tennessee’s Jaylen Carey, who led all scorers with 22 points, into a contested miss in the closing seconds. Sadiq White added a late free throw with 0.7 seconds left to finalize the 62-60 result.
This win marks Syracuse’s first victory over a ranked opponent since beating No. 7 North Carolina 86-79 on February 13, 2024. Kyle finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, and six blocks, delivering a strong two-way performance down the stretch after entering the game shooting 11-for-26 from the line for the season. He went 1-for-2 at the stripe in the final seconds, converting the second with composure.
The 6-foot-9 center’s notable all-around numbers came alongside a team effort to stifle Tennessee. Syracuse held the Volunteers to a season-low offensive output, far below their prior low of 76 points. The Orange defense constrained Tennessee in the first half to 30 points on 13-for-31 shooting (41%), the lowest half for UT this season. Tennessee’s top players—senior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie and potential NBA lottery pick Nate Ament—managed just six and three points, respectively, before the break.
Syracuse’s offense benefited from a sharp second-half push, including an 8-0 run that gave the Orange a 42-34 lead early in the period. That burst featured a pair of standout defensive plays by Kyle: a block on Felix Okpara at the rim and a steal leading to fastbreak finishes for Sadiq White and JJ Starling. Nate Kingz, the 6-4 transfer from Oregon State, supplied a game-high 19 points in the first half as Syracuse built a 32-30 halftime edge.
The visitors briefly grabbed the lead in the second half, as Carey’s 6-foot-8, 267-pound presence inside helped Tennessee surge ahead 51-50 with 8:35 remaining. Yet Syracuse answered, regaining the lead with timely free throws from Kiyan Anthony and a transition bucket from Starling. Ament’s 3-pointer briefly put UT back in front, but the劲 Orange clung to a one-possession margin until Kyle’s decisive late free throws.
Notes:
- Tennessee’s Carey showed durability and size, but Syracuse’s interior defense and transition opportunities helped balance the scoring.
- The victory improves Syracuse to 5-3 on the season, after a challenging stretch at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, where the Orange dropped three games to ranked opponents in close proximity.
- Donnie Freeman, Syracuse’s leading scorer, missed a fourth straight game, yet the team responded with defense-first resilience and late-game execution.
Mike Waters has documented the Syracuse University basketball program for decades, earning recognition from the Associated Press Sports Editors and the U.S. Basketball Writers’ Association for his coverage.”}
