DALLAS, T.X. —Despite holding a 12-point lead midway through the second half, Syracuse (14-14, 7-9 ACC) fell 77-75 to SMU (17-11, 9-6 AAC) on the road Tuesday night. This marks the third consecutive loss for the Orange after holding a double-digit advantage in the second half.
In @Cuse_MBB's first trip to @SMUBasketball, the Orange led for most of the game. However, the Mustangs pulled out a late 77-75 win. @Austin_Barach & @swilkes04 had the call from the Moody Coliseum. pic.twitter.com/5EBX325fJM
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) March 5, 2025
Syracuse seemed poised to pick up a road win after a strong first-half performance. The Orange came out firing early, led by Lucas Taylor. The senior drained three early three-pointers, finishing the first half with 13 points and helping Syracuse take a 44-36 lead into the break.
“We battled, we did the things we were asked to do but just came up short late,” said head coach Adrian Autry.
Even with an 11-point lead early in the second half, the Orange watched as SMU chipped away, led by guard Kario Oquendo, who finished as the game’s top scorer with 16 points.
Syracuse remained in control for much of the half, but with the game tied at 75 and under 30 seconds left, the Orange failed to capitalize on key possessions. After a Samet Yiğitoğlu free throw tied the game for the Mustangs, Syracuse missed its next chance to retake the lead. With just seconds remaining, Boopie Miller missed a floater, but Keon Ambrose-Hylton was in perfect position to tip in the game-winning basket, giving SMU a 77-75 advantage.
“We talked about guarding the ball. The last thing we said was when the ball goes up, everybody has to hit somebody and go to the glass,” Autry said of the play.
Six Syracuse players finished in double figures, with Taylor leading the way with 13 points. Chris Bell added 11 points, while Jaquan Carlos finished with 12 points and eight assists. Eddie Lampkin Jr. contributed 10 points and nine rebounds, but the Orange were ultimately undone by their late-game execution.
“We always put together that first 20 minutes, first 30 minutes. Those last five minutes we have to put it together and really lock in. It's March now, and we can't settle for these losses,” Cuffe said.
After a layup from @SMUBasketball with around two seconds left in the game, @Cuse_MBB had a timeout but didn't use it.
— WAER Sports Talk (@WAERSportsTalk) March 5, 2025
Our reporter @Austin_Barach didn't mind Autry's decision in the late stages.
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Behind a 61% shooting clip, SMU outscored SU 41-31 in the second half. Over the last six games, the Orange have been outscored by a total of 35 points in the second half.
The Orange return home on Saturday for a matchup against Virginia in the regular season finale.