Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Syracuse was en route to its first four-game winning streak in Atlantic Coast Conference play in nearly two years. All they had to do was beat the league’s worst team. Then came a disaster.

Syracuse (12-6, 3-2 ACC) fell to Boston College (8-10, 1-4 ACC) 81-73 in overtime to break a three-game winning streak and curtail its progress toward March Madness. The Orange scored 13 points under their average from the last three games, and lost the overtime period 17-9.

It wasn’t supposed to be like that. Yet with under two minutes to go in overtime, Syracuse trailed 72-66. Donnie Freeman was blocked inside and Donald Hand Jr. delivered a layup, putting the Orange on the ropes. Nate Kingz delivered an and-1 and two more free throws, mixed with two free throws from the Eagles.

More free throws from BC clinched the game after a full-court press and fouls weren’t enough for the Orange to come back. Syracuse walked off stunned. Freeman moved across the court with his hands on his head. The Orange’s future as they know it is in jeopardy.

SU’s collapse started with seven minutes to play. Syracuse led by just two points against the league’s last-place team. The Eagles tied the game at 55-55 with a Jayden Hastings dunk, and, with under five minutes to play, Nate Kingz continued his heroic ways.

Kingz spun inside for an and-1 layup, his 20th point of the day, to take a three-point lead. Freeman added two free throws and a left-handed layup made the lead seven. BC then catapulted a 5-0 run, making a layup and a 3 to trim the deficit to two with 90 seconds to go.

Kingz worked inside for two and the Eagles then split a pair of free throws. Following the miss, point guard Naithan George was stripped behind halfcourt, but then stripped it back near the baseline. Trying to bring the ball back up the court, he stepped out of bounds. BC had the ball down three with under a minute to play and missed a look. Freeman went to the free throw line for a one-and-one and missed it, giving BC 17.2 seconds to tie the game.

Out of the timeout, Boston College freed up Donald Hand Jr., who splashed a 3 to tie the game. Another George turnover, his seventh of the game, gave BC a final shot at a buzzer-beater. The Eagles missed a half-court heave, sending the game to overtime.

SU began in a slugfest. BC limited Syracuse’s top scorers, J.J. Starling and Freeman, who each didn’t record a shot until eight and six minutes into the first half, respectively.

Freeman’s second shot attempt was a stepback midrange jumper, which drew nothing but nylon and continued his excellent sophomore campaign. The Orange entered 7-0 in games Freeman started, as he averaged over 20 points per game. After a forced shot clock violation, Freeman moved downhill and finished an and-1. His first five points against the Eagles came at the center position.

SU retook the lead after losing it, but BC guard Fred Payne turned it on. He entered scoring 14.1 points per game, though he made just one of his first nine shots Saturday. Payne fixed his poor numbers slightly with a straightaway 3. A few seconds later, he took George’s lunch money and retook the lead with a lob pass to Aidan Shaw. Syracuse regrouped and ended the half with a five-point lead.

While a 10-0 kill shot is likely what Syracuse envisioned out of the break, the last-place Eagles produced the opposite. Freeman worked inside for yet another and-1 and Kingz buried his third 3. George lobbed one for William Kyle III to gain some momentum, but BC always found a way to keep it close by feeding off the Orange’s turnover issues.

SU played too fast for its own good. Autry and Co. have pushed the desire for pace; however, uncontrollable pace became worthless. BC climbed in front for a 46-44 lead while SU’s offense reeled and Payne caught fire.

The Eagles lit up for a 9-0 run while SU found itself in another long drought. Kingz broke it, curling around a screen to his left for his fourth 3 on five attempts. A minute later, nothing but net. The Oregon State transfer shot 44.6% from deep last season before dwindling down to 31% through his first 17 games at Syracuse. His 5 3s willed the Orange down the stretch but weren’t enough.

BC played a wire-to-wire game. Syracuse embarrassed itself, likely ruining its season.

Published on January 17, 2026 at 4:49 pm
Contact Aiden at: amstepan@syr.edu | @AidenStepansky