The end of the regular season is near for Syracuse men’s basketball (12-18, 6-13 Atlantic Coast Conference) as it hosts Virginia (15-15, 8-11 Atlantic Coast Conference) on senior night.
SU is coming off a heartbreaking 77-75 loss to SMU on Tuesday night.
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
The Orange led by 12 with just around 10 minutes to go at Moody Coliseum. However, just three minutes later, the Mustangs would sit within two trailing 72-70. After SMU jumped ahead by two, SU tied things up, knotting the contest 75 with 27 seconds left to go. On the ensuing possession, the Mustangs’ Keon Amrbose-Hylton would tip in a missed shot from Boopie Miller to give SMU the win.
The defeat marked the third straight road game in which Syracuse has blown a double-digit lead. Following the game, head coach Adrian Autry felt there was two reason for the loss.
“At the end of the day, you can’t turn it over that many times," said Autry. "It's pretty much the same story. I'm frustrated."
Syracuse gave the ball away 14 times, leading to 16 points on the other end for the Mustangs. The Orange have now given up the ball 10 or more times in their last 12 games. As for rebounds, SU actually won the boards battle 40-33.
To add on to the positives from Tuesday, Syracuse had six different scorers finish in double figures for the first time since 2016. Lucas Taylor led the way for the Orange for the second time in just over a month with 13 points.
With a bad road loss to SMU in its rearview mirror, Syracuse now shifts to finishing out the regular season strong against Virginia.
The Cavaliers have had an up-and-down season since former head coach Tony Bennett retired in October of 2024. Virginia has won two of its last three games. Those two victories came against Wake Forest and Florida State, both teams that Syracuse lost to earlier this season.
The Hoos thrive on shutting teams offensively, as they sport the second-best scoring defense in the ACC, letting up just over 66 points a game. UVA has held teams to 75 points or less in six of its last eight games.
Offensively, things aren’t as fruitful for Virginia with the Cavaliers ranking last in the conference for scoring offense, mustering up just under 65 points a game. UVA has just two players averaging double figures on a nightly basis. Virginia is spearheaded by Isaac McKneely, who puts up 14.2 points per game. The guard dropped 22 last time out against Syracuse. Behind the guard is Elijah Saunders, who averages 10.6 a contest.
Separate from SU and UVA’s clash, Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack announced yesterday that Adrian Atury will be back as head coach for the 2025-26 season. Wildhack believes that giving Autry the resources to succeed in the offseason is key. “I think this portal period is going to be critical for us,” the AD said Thursday morning.
Autry would go on to reflect the same sentiment on Cuse Sports Talk: "[John Wildhack] has allowed me, supported me, to make decisions and get things in place to move forward to navigate the new landscape of college athletics."
Regardless of what changes are coming in the offseason, Syracuse still has basketball to play this year. The Orange is looking to take down the Cavaliers for the first time since 2020. Syracuse seeks to break the streak in front of the Dome crowd one last time this year on senior night. Eight different players will be honored for SU.
Syracuse and Virginia are slated to square off at eight, with WAER’s coverage starting at 7:30 with McClurg Remodeling Countdown To Tip-off.