Syracuse Drops Another Close One, Falling 76-74 to Virginia Tech in a Game of Missed Chances and Momentum Swings
With five seconds left on the clock and a chance to tie or win, Syracuse couldn’t secure the rebound it desperately needed. Neoklis Avdalas missed a free throw that could’ve put Virginia Tech up by four, but instead of grabbing the board and pushing for a final shot, the Orange let it slip - literally. Tobi Lawal beat everyone to the ball, got fouled, and calmly sank two free throws to ice it.
That sequence capped off a frustrating night for Syracuse, who dropped their second straight game - this time a 76-74 heartbreaker to Virginia Tech. The Orange now sit at 12-7 overall and 3-3 in ACC play, and with seven of their final 13 games falling into the Quad 1 category, the road ahead doesn’t get any easier.
A Late Surge That Came Up Just Short
Despite the loss, Syracuse had every opportunity to steal this one late. Down nine with under a minute to play, the Orange made a furious push behind seven quick points from Tyler Betsey and Donnie Freeman to trim the deficit to three. After Virginia Tech inbounded successfully, Lawal was fouled and hit both free throws to make it 72-67.
J.J. Starling answered with a quick bucket, and when the Hokies turned it over for the second time in the final minute, Syracuse had life.
Trailing 72-69, they drew up a clean look for Nate Kingz from deep - but it didn’t fall. The Hokies secured the rebound, and Avdalas split a pair at the line.
Starling again drove straight to the rim for an easy two, cutting it to 73-71 with 7.5 seconds left. But SU couldn’t get the stop it needed. Lawal nailed two more free throws, and although Naithan George hit a three at the buzzer, it was too little, too late.
Ben Hammond Takes Over Late
The turning point came with just under seven minutes to go, when Virginia Tech was clinging to a one-point lead. Enter Ben Hammond. The Hokies’ guard took control down the stretch, finishing with a game-high 24 points - and none more important than the five he scored in back-to-back possessions to swing the game.
First, he floated in a soft teardrop to push VT’s lead to three. Then, after a steal by Avdalas, Hammond converted a transition and-one to extend the margin to six - the Hokies’ largest lead at that point.
That sequence also highlighted a recurring issue for Syracuse: turnovers. The Orange coughed it up 14 times, including seven in the second half, just one game after giving it away 18 times against Boston College.
George briefly cut the lead to four with his first made field goal of the game, but Virginia Tech responded with a Lawal free throw and a layup from Avdalas to go up 62-55. Syracuse wouldn’t hit another field goal until the final minute.
A Tale of Two Halves
It wasn’t all bad for Syracuse. In fact, they came out firing.
Kingz opened the scoring with a three, and SU knocked down seven triples in the first half - a strong showing against a Virginia Tech defense that ranked top-10 nationally in defending the arc. The Orange were moving the ball well, too, racking up nine assists on 13 made field goals while limiting themselves to just five turnovers.
That hot start helped them build a 23-13 lead midway through the first half, thanks to a 10-3 run fueled by threes from Kingz and Betsey. Sadiq White added to the momentum with SU’s fifth triple of the half, and they carried a 37-30 lead into the break.
William Kyle III led the way with 10 points in the first half, and everything seemed to be trending in the right direction.
But after halftime, the offense stalled. Virginia Tech quickly cut the lead to four, and although another Kingz three gave SU a 44-37 cushion, the Orange then went ice cold. They didn’t make a field goal for over five minutes, and the Hokies took full advantage with a 9-1 run to grab the lead.
White, who played just five minutes in the previous game against Boston College, gave SU a spark with two emphatic dunks in the second half. He finished with 11 points in 15 minutes and briefly tied the game at 51-51. But after that, it was all Virginia Tech.
What’s Next for the Orange?
This one stings - not just because of the final score, but because of how it unfolded. Syracuse had control early, had chances late, and still couldn’t close. The turnovers continue to be a problem, and the offense has shown a troubling tendency to disappear for long stretches.
Still, there were bright spots. The shooting in the first half was impressive, and young players like White and Betsey showed flashes of what they can bring. But in a year where Adrian Autry is looking to solidify his place at the helm, the pressure is mounting.
With a brutal stretch of games on the horizon, the Orange will need to tighten things up quickly - or risk watching their season slip away one missed rebound at a time.