Syracuse falls 101-64 to No. 3 Duke in worst loss of Autry era
Late in Syracuse's 101-64 loss to No. 3 Duke, J.J. Starling looked dejected on the bench. The 37-point defeat was the worst loss of Adrian Autry's tenure. Courtesy of Rui Yang | The Duke Chronicle
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DURHAM, N.C. — Adrian Autry knew the task at hand.
“It’s Duke,” Autry said when asked about the matchup two days prior.
The pageantry of Cameron Indoor Stadium speaks for itself. So does the program’s history. This Blue Devils squad has followed the same formula.
Syracuse (15-12, 6-8 Atlantic Coast) fell to No. 3 Duke (24-2, 13-1 Atlantic Coast) 101-64 Monday. The Orange’s first half — with 24 points — tied for their fewest points in a half this season, and they lost the battle in the paint 52-30. The 37-point defeat was SU’s worst under Autry.
The task was monumental. The Blue Devils haven’t lost a home game since March 9, 2024, when they lost their regular-season finale to North Carolina. Entering off two-straight wins, Syracuse was clicking at the right time. Sophomore Donnie Freeman said he thinks the Orange are starting to turn a corner. A win over the conference’s top team would certainly confirm it.
But SU wasn’t going to pull off the major upset without rebounding. The Blue Devils corralled the first seven rebounds to start the contest, adding second-chance points. The Orange came out with fire, though, as William Kyle III delivered two blocks and Nate Kingz worked inside for a dunk to give them a 9-7 lead.
Stopping Duke meant slowing down Cameron Boozer. The son of former NBA forward Carlos Boozer entered the contest leading the ACC in points (22.8) and rebounds (9.9) per game. Kyle and Freeman were tasked with slowing Boozer, but it’s easier said than done. SU inserted Akir Souare and Sadiq White Jr. to pack a punch inside.
Once Syracuse reached its bench, it hit a catastrophic scoring drought. The Orange went four minutes without a point, as Duke cushioned its lead with a 14-3 run. SU attempted to claw back from beyond the arc, but shot just 4-of-16 on triples in the first half.
Kingz hit a 3 to cut into the deficit, but Duke caught fire offensively with Isaiah Evans working off the pick and roll and Boozer responding with a triple himself. Kingz came right back again with an acrobatic step-back 3 after falling to the ground and keeping his dribble alive, making it just a six-point deficit.
Just as the Orange found a groove, the Blue Devils remembered who they were. They’re Duke. Led by Boozer’s seven points, Duke closed the half on an 11-0 run to build a 40-24 halftime advantage.
The Blue Devils came out of the break with the same firepower. Duke notched an 8-2 run with back-to-back 3s as the lead crept into the 20s. Boozer snagged a double-double quickly into the second half, while Kyle slammed home more dunks to keep the Orange at least a little competitive.
Even as the Blue Devils entered as a middling 3-point shooting team — hitting on 34.1% of their tries from deep — they found a way to get it going against the Orange. When another 3 from Nikolas Khamenia stretched the lead to 63-37, all Autry could do was sit on the bench and rub his forehead in distress.
Duke’s lead continued to stay far out of reach, even with Kiyan Anthony knocking down a few 3s down the stretch. With every point for the Blue Devils, the Orange crept toward their worst loss of the Autry era. Freeman sat with his left hand over his mouth, looking solemnly at the floor. J.J. Starling stared off into the abyss.
Was Syracuse expected to win on the road against Duke? Vegas’ 20-point betting line and its 10-game losing streak versus the Blue Devils gives that question a resounding no. Yet, as the contest went on, the Orange somehow only managed to reach new lows.
