Syracuse Stuns No. 13 Tennessee in Season-Saving Win at the Dome
Syracuse basketball desperately needed a moment like this. After a brutal three-game skid in Las Vegas where the Orange fell to three top-25 teams - Houston, Kansas, and Iowa State - their season was teetering on the edge.
No Quad 1 wins. No signature performance.
And with NCAA Tournament hopes already fading, the pressure was mounting.
Enter Tuesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome. No Donnie Freeman for the fourth straight game.
A top-15 Tennessee team in town. And somehow, some way, Syracuse found a way to flip the script.
Behind a breakout first half from Nate Kingz and a clutch closing stretch by J.J. Starling, the Orange pulled off a gritty 62-60 win over the Volunteers - a game that may very well become the turning point of Adrian Autry’s tenure.
Let’s break down how Syracuse pulled off the upset and what it means moving forward.
J.J. Starling Steps Up When It Matters Most
It hasn’t been the smoothest start to the season for J.J. Starling.
The expectations were high - he was supposed to be the guy. But through the first seven games, he was averaging under 10 points per game and shooting just 35.7% from the free-throw line.
His offensive rhythm just hadn’t clicked.
But with the game - and maybe the season - hanging in the balance, Starling delivered.
Trailing 56-55 with under three minutes to play, Starling rose up and buried a deep three from the right wing. On the next possession, he calmly knocked down a mid-range jumper. Just like that, Syracuse had a 60-56 lead, thanks to the most clutch stretch of Starling’s season.
He finished with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Not eye-popping, but efficient.
And more importantly, timely. He also played strong defense, helping limit Tennessee’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie to a quiet night.
Starling didn’t just score - he impacted the game on both ends when it mattered most.
Nate Kingz Ignites the Dome with First-Half Explosion
If Syracuse needed someone to set the tone early, Nate Kingz answered the call - and then some.
The Oregon State transfer was electric in the first half, pouring in 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting, all before the break. He scored 12 of Syracuse’s 14 points during one stretch, showing off his full offensive arsenal - deep threes, floaters, and tough finishes through contact.
Kingz was fearless. He drilled a three from the left wing, then followed it up with a strong drive and finish inside.
Later, he backed down Tennessee’s Jaylen Carey on the block and scored through a foul. His shot-making gave Syracuse a 32-30 halftime lead and all the momentum.
Tennessee adjusted in the second half, throwing double teams at him and denying him touches. Kingz didn’t attempt a single shot after halftime. But his first-half outburst gave Syracuse the cushion it needed - and reminded everyone that he can be a game-changer when he gets going.
Still Searching for Answers Without Donnie Freeman
Playing without your best player is never easy. And Syracuse has now had to navigate four straight games without Donnie Freeman, their top scorer and interior presence.
His absence was felt again Tuesday night. The Orange struggled with spacing, couldn’t consistently feed the post, and had a tough time creating clean looks in the half-court. The pick-and-roll game was disjointed, and without Freeman’s physicality, SU lacked a go-to option when things stalled.
Defensively, it showed too. Sadiq White picked up two quick fouls and had to sit early.
That opened the paint for Tennessee, where Jaylen Carey went 5-of-7 around the rim in the first half. The Vols racked up 15 second-chance points to Syracuse’s six, a gap that Freeman’s rebounding and rim protection might have helped close.
Without Freeman, the Orange are still trying to find consistent contributors. Besides Kingz, no one really found a rhythm offensively. The pieces are there, but the cohesion - especially in the frontcourt - remains a work in progress.
Perimeter Shooting Still a Work in Progress
Syracuse has been letting it fly from deep all season. The problem? The shots just aren’t falling.
After averaging nearly 30 three-point attempts per game during their Vegas trip - and hitting just 25.8% - the Orange once again leaned on the perimeter against Tennessee. The result? A 5-of-19 showing from beyond the arc (26%).
Kingz hit two of those in the first half. No other player made more than one. And while Syracuse found a way to win without a hot shooting night, it’s clear that perimeter efficiency will be a key factor in their ability to win tough games moving forward.
The volume is there. The confidence is there. But if this team wants to compete in the ACC, they’ll need more than just one guy making shots from deep.
This Time, Syracuse Closes the Deal
This wasn’t the first time Syracuse had a top-tier team on the ropes. They led Houston.
They had a shot against Kansas. But in both games, the Orange let the moment slip away.
Tuesday night felt different.
With 11:50 to go, Kiyan Anthony drilled a corner three in front of the student section, capping a 16-7 run and giving Syracuse a 50-41 lead. The Dome erupted. The energy was real.
But Tennessee punched back - hard. A 10-0 run flipped the game, and the Vols took a 56-55 lead with just over four minutes to play.
Syracuse looked out of sync. Kingz couldn’t get a touch.
The momentum was slipping.
Then came the plays that defined the night. Starling hit back-to-back jumpers to reclaim the lead.
White muscled down a critical rebound on a missed Tennessee free throw. And with 13 seconds left, William Kyle III stepped to the line and calmly sank the go-ahead free throw.
On the final possession, Syracuse locked in defensively. Carey drove to the rim, but SU walled up and forced a miss. Ball game.
A Signature Win for Adrian Autry
There’s no sugarcoating it - Syracuse needed this one. Badly.
After three straight losses and no Quad 1 wins, the Orange were staring down a long winter. But instead of folding, they fought.
They made the big plays. They defended when it counted.
And they handed No. 13 Tennessee just its second loss of the season.
For Adrian Autry, this was more than just a win. It was a statement.
A sign that his team, even without its star forward, can rise to the moment. And for a program trying to build a new identity in the post-Boeheim era, that’s no small thing.
There’s still work to do. ACC play is looming, and the margin for error remains thin. But for one night, Syracuse reminded the college basketball world that it’s still capable of making noise - and maybe, just maybe, turning this season into something special.