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It’s a play Syracuse has run hundreds of times. Dominique Darius inbounds the ball from the baseline. Uche Izoje sets up at the top of the key, while Laila Phelia rests at the left block. As Phelia screens up for Izoje, Sophie Burrows tries to evade her defender, touching shoulders with Journey Thompson as she drifts to the perimeter.

At this moment, with SU and North Carolina knotted at 68-68 with seven seconds remaining, the play’s execution determined whether the Orange would extend their win-streak to four games — their third of such this season — or if they’d return to Earth after three staggering victories.

Izoje was open. Phelia’s screen pummeled and tripped UNC forward Ciera Toomey, freeing the 6-foot-3 center at the left block. She’d made this shot too many times to count, but on Sunday against the Tar Heels, the lights were too bright. Izoje’s push rattled off the back rim, falling into the hands of UNC guard Indya Nivar — a crucial missed opportunity.

North Carolina (17-5, 6-3 ACC) topped Syracuse (16-4, 6-3 ACC) 77-71 in an overtime classic at Carmichael Arena. Despite Izoje dropping a career-high 27 points, she couldn’t come through with the game on the line. Phelia’s six points in her return to the starting lineup were underwhelming, while the Orange shot just 35% and couldn’t match the Tar Heels’ efficiency from beyond the arc (9-of-24).

SU trailed by as much as eight in the fourth quarter but battled back to force overtime. When it was all said and done, though, the Orange suffered their first defeat since Jan. 8 and fell victim to the Tar Heels — who have been ranked in nine of 12 AP Top 25 polls — for the third straight time.

Following Izoje’s miss, UNC was handed one last shot, too. Nivar, lying on the hardwood, signaled a timeout, allowing North Carolina to inbound the ball near its hoop with 1.5 seconds to play.

Nivar fired her pass to Nyla Harris on the left side of the perimeter. Izoje, leaving Toomey open on the opposite side of the court, scurried to Harris to apply extra pressure.

Toomey cut inside uncontested. All Harris had to do was feed her an adequate pass, and the game would be over. Instead, her pass landed at Toomey’s feet, who fumbled it as time expired. For the second time in three games, Syracuse was headed to overtime.

In the extra five minutes, SU was sent packing. All the work it had taken for Syracuse to claw back and force overtime culminated in a 9-3 disadvantage, one field goal and 1-of-12 shooting. It was reminiscent of Syracuse’s efficiency in the opening 40 minutes.

UNC jumped out to an 11-6 first-quarter lead courtesy of three buckets from Harris and a Lanie Grant fastbreak 3. From there, SU was playing catch-up. It cut its deficit to one midway through the frame but struggled to get over the hump.

Izoje began attacking the 6-foot-4 Toomey but struggled to convert, finishing the first quarter 1-of-6 from the field. It was the Orange’s first of many causes for concern.

The second surrounded UNC’s accuracy from deep. The Tar Heels opened the game 3-of-5 from the perimeter, staying in front until Darius knocked down two free throws one minute into the second quarter to tie the score at 19-19. North Carolina tacked on six more 3s, finishing 37.5% from 3-point range, its best outing since Dec. 21, 2025, against Charleston Southern.

Finally, after 18 minutes of play, the Orange took their first lead. Nivar missed a layup while swarmed by Izoje and Thompson, allowing Darius to push up to the elbow for a fastbreak jumper. She hit back iron, but Izoje was there to lay it up and in, giving Syracuse a 28-27 lead.

The excitement of that advantage was short-lived. Five minutes into the third quarter, Phelia, pushing forward with no one between her and the hoop, fell to her knees with an apparent injury and was immediately tended to by athletic trainer Karen McKinney.

Frustration soon brewed for the Orange as UNC continued to drain 3 after 3. The Tar Heels attempted a triple in four of their next five trips up the court — and made three of them. When Phelia — SU’s most consistent 3-point shooter — returned six minutes after her injury, she couldn’t provide the Orange with the spark they needed.

Syracuse continued to search for that spark throughout the fourth quarter. It trailed by as much as eight in the final 10 minutes and seemingly had no answer as the game inched out of its control. In overtime, SU’s inconsistencies persisted, resulting in its first single-digit loss of the year.

If someone told Syracuse three months ago that it would’ve put up an overtime fight against North Carolina, a team that opened the season as national title contenders, no one would’ve believed it. But that’s the reality of where the Orange are at.

Even in defeat, Sunday’s loss was another step forward for a team looking to return to national relevance.

Published on January 25, 2026 at 2:25 pm
Contact: jordankimball28@gmail.com | @JordanKimball_