A regular season filled with close losses ended with another Saturday evening. Syracuse men's basketball (15-16, 6-12 Atlantic Coast Conference) dropped a 71-69 overtime decision to Pittsburgh (12-19, 5-13 Atlantic Coast Conference), extending its losing streak to five and finishing below .500 for the second straight year.
In its regular season finale, @Cuse_MBB fell 71-69 in overtime to @Pitt_MBB in front of the Orange Faithful for its fifth straight loss.@Hudson_Ridley and @JKlein had the call from the JMA Wireless Dome. pic.twitter.com/KKK6uFVxyi
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) March 8, 2026
With Wake Forest defeating California earlier in the day, SU had already been locked into the No. 14 seed of the ACC Tournament but still had a chance to keep Pitt out of the field with a win on senior night. Instead, the Panthers split the season series and secured the final tournament spot, handing the Orange another late-game setback in a season that has seen several.
The loss drops the Orange below .500 for the season and sends them into the ACC Tournament needing two wins to avoid back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1969. Despite the record, Autry believes the program has made progress adjusting to the changing landscape of college basketball.
“It’s been slow progress, not the progress that we all want to see. In this world, patience is really thin,” he said. “I knew that once I took over this was going to be an adjustment because everything has changed.”
Although @CuseMBB's loss to @Pitt_MBB means nothing for the Orange when it comes to making the ACC Tournament, the Panthers' win still struck a sensitive chord.@DanPapillo and @joshrichy_04 talk about what was going through their heads during the contest.
— WAER Sports Talk (@WAERSportsTalk) March 8, 2026
📻88.3 FM… pic.twitter.com/eQ4UU7OrYg
On a night honoring the program's seniors, it was junior guard Naithan George who led the Orange, netting a season-high 26 points while on the floor for 40 minutes. Sophomore forward Donnie Freeman added a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, and senior guard Nate Kingz scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
The Panthers built an early 16-9 lead in the first half, out-rebounding the Orange 11-5 in the opening stretch, but the Orange responded with an 8-0 run fueled by George and Freeman. Syracuse closed the half scoring seven unanswered points, capped by a George make from deep, to take a 31-28 lead at the break.
While both teams were ice cold from beyond the arc, one player stood out. @Cuse_MBB guard Nait George lit up the Dome from range.@Hudson_Ridley portrayed the junior's electric first half.
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) March 7, 2026
📻@waer883, https://t.co/BG0Q3sGq3P pic.twitter.com/x5bsHrVLRD
SU entered the contest 14-3 when leading at halftime this season, but the second half quickly swung in Pitt’s favor. The Panthers used a 12-0 run to build a 45-35 advantage after Syracuse went nearly four minutes without a field goal.
George and Freeman sparked a response, combining for a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to two, and a corner three from Tyler Betsey tied the game at 52 with just over six minutes remaining.
The teams traded baskets late in regulation, with Freeman tying the game at 65 with a pair of free throws in the final minutes, and both teams missed chances to win in regulation, sending Syracuse to overtime for the fourth time this season.
In the extra period, the teams exchanged baskets early before the offense stalled late. With the score tied at 69 and under 10 seconds remaining, Pitt guard Nojus Indrusaitis drove to the basket and appeared to be blocked by senior forward William Kyle. But officials ruled goaltending, giving the Panthers a 71-69 lead with 4.3 seconds left.
“I thought the difference was our late-game execution,” Orange head coach Adrian Autry said. “We turned it over twice in overtime.”
Autry also pointed to Syracuse’s struggles handling pressure in the final possessions.
“We had a couple passes at the end that weren't great,” he said. “You’ve got to be strong with the ball, get to the spots we need to get to, and we didn’t do that.”
Senior captain JJ Starling, who had been benched for the previous 16 minutes of game time, checked back in for the last possession, but George’s half-court attempt at the buzzer fell short. Starling finished scoreless, going 0-for-7 from the field, which marked the first time he failed to score in a full game this year after leaving the season opener early due to injury.
He has totaled just four points over his last three outings. Autry said opposing defenses have made it difficult for Starling to get comfortable offensively late in the season.
“The last couple of games, it’s been hard for him to get going,” Autry said. “Teams are defending him a certain way. He gets a lot of attention, and right now he’s not shooting the ball particularly well. Some of it is defense and some of it is him struggling a little bit.”
Syracuse shot 16-for-17 from the free throw line — its best percentage of the season, after entering the day dead last in the ACC and second to last in the country — but was outrebounded 39-34 and allowed 11 offensive boards.
When asked about speculation surrounding his future, Autry said his focus remains on the team.
“This is college athletics. I can only worry about today,” he said. “My job is to get our guys ready to win games.”
Autry added that returning to what he calls the “Orange standard” has become more difficult in the modern era.
“It’s different now," he said. “When we had that standard, we were able to retain and develop guys. With NIL and the portal,everything has changed. Getting back to that is going to take time.”
Syracuse will face No. 11 seed SMU on Tuesday in the first round in Charlotte at 4:30. WAER’s coverage starts with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff at 4.