Orange Fall to Hokies at Home

Wednesday, January 21

Syracuse, NY

9:00 PM

Syracuse University

12-7,3-3ACC

Virginia Tech

15-5,4-3ACC

Virginia Tech

Syracuse

1/21/2026 11:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Adrian Autry Press Conference Highlights Photo Gallery

Despite knocking down 10 3-pointers, Syracuse (12-7, 3-3 ACC) fell to Virginia Tech (15-5, 4-3 ACC), 76-74, at the JMA Wireless Dome on Wednesday night.

The Orange saw five players score in double figures, with senior J.J. Starling leading the way with 12 points on 5-of-11 (.455) shooting from the field. Senior Nate Kingz chipped in 11 points, draining a team-high three 3-point shots. Sophomore Donnie Freeman had a squad-best nine rebounds in the effort.

Ben Hammond was the game's leading scorer, providing 24 points for the Hokies, including a 12-of-13 (.923) mark from the free-throw line. He also tied a Virginia Tech program record for steals in an ACC game with six. The Hokies finished the game shooting 26-of-36 (.722) from the free throw line.

How the Game Was Decided
With Virginia Tech holding a narrow 54-53 edge with just under seven minutes to go, the visitors went on a 10-2 run in just less than four minutes to pull away from the Orange. Hammond got the run going for the Hokies with a floater, before converting a layup and drawing a foul for a three-point play. Junior Naithan George hit a jumper following the Hammond layup, but the Hokies continued to deliver stops on defense. Virginia Tech opened up a 64-55 lead with just under three minutes to go.

Syracuse did not go away quietly. Sophomore Tyler Betsey delivered a 3-pointer, then made three free throws after being fouled on another attempt from behind the arc. Freeman followed with a steal on the ensuing inbound and converted a layup to bring the Orange back within three at 70-67 with 38 seconds remaining.

The Hokies responded with a pair of free throws from Tobi Lawal, but Syracuse kept fighting. Starling delivered a driving layup to pull Syracuse back within three at 72-69 with just 23 ticks remaining. The Orange defense dialed up the pressure on the ensuing inbound and forced a Hokie turnover, giving Syracuse an opportunity to tie.

They put the ball in Kingz's hands with a look from 3-point range, but the shot was off the mark. The Hokies hit a free throw on the other end to seal up the win, and while George tacked on a buzzer-beater 3-pointer, it was too late.

Virginia Tech shot 12-of-13 (.923) from the free-throw line over the final 1:40 to help secure the victory.

Hot Start from Beyond the Arc
The Orange were red hot from beyond the arc to start against the Hokies. Kingz set the tone for the Orange, drilling a corner 3-pointer on their opening possession. The two squads traded shots, drawing level at 10 points apiece at the 16-minute mark.

Coming out of the media timeout, the Orange put their foot on the gas and went on a 13-3 run over a four-minute stretch.

Kingz got the hot stretch started with a moving 3-pointer from the top of the arc and senior center William Kyle III added a paint basket. Freshman Sadiq White Jr. kept things going with a layup before Betsey buried a corner 3-pointer. On the ensuing possession, White Jr. delivered a triple of his own to give the Orange a 23-13 edge with 11:29 showing on the clock. Syracuse was 3-of-4 (.750) from 3-point range during the stretch.

The Hokies chipped away at the lead, going on a 7-0 run to draw back within three points over a two-minute span. Freeman halted the surge when he delivered a 3-pointer. Freshman Kiyan Anthony was next up, hitting a 3-pointer while drawing a foul for the Orange's seventh triple of the affair. Anthony's 3-pointer gave Syracuse a 29-22 advantage with 7:45 to go.

The two squads traded blows down the stretch of the half, both teams scoring eight points and Syracuse took a 37-30 lead into halftime. The Orange finished the half shooting 7-of-12 (.583) from 3-point range. Despite the barrage of 3-pointers from the Orange, Kyle III paced the offense with 10 points on 5-of-6 (.833) shooting from the field.

Hokies Draw Even in the Second Half
The two squads traded buckets out of the break, with each team scoring seven points over the first four minutes of the half. Starling delivered a pair of jumpers before Kingz hit yet another 3-pointer to keep Syracuse out in front, 44-37.

The Hokies came all the way back, though, going on an 8-1 surge following the Kingz 3-pointer. The Virginia Tech defense held the Orange 0-of-4 (.000) from the field while forcing two turnovers to bring the game level at 45-45 with 11:54 remaining.

Tug-of-War Down Second Half
Neither team was able to find its stroke once the Hokies knotted things up. The Orange held Virginia Tech without a field goal for over five minutes, but the Hokies kept themselves within striking distance from the free-throw line. During the field-goal drought, the Hokies managed to shoot 9-of-12 (.750) from the line.

Meanwhile, White Jr. threw down a pair of dunks and hit a jumper while Starling added a pair of free throws to nearly offset the Virginia Tech effort from the charity stripe. The Hokies held a narrow edge, 54-53 at the 6:54 mark before going on to pull away over the final minutes.

Notable Numbers

Kingz scored the first five points for the Orange.
Five different players delivered a 3-pointer for Syracuse in the first half.
Seven of the Orange's 13 field goals in the first half were from 3-point range.
The Orange received 25 points from their bench tonight.
Kingz has three consecutive games with multiple 3-pointers made.
There were 12 lead changes in the contest.
The Hokies were 26-of-36 from the foul line, the highest totals in both categories by an opponent this season.
Virginia Tech converted 25 free throws in the second half.
Syracuse's 28 fouls were the most by the Orange since tallying 28 fouls against Ohio State on November 28, 2018.

Up Next
The Orange stay home this weekend to host Miami on Saturday, January 24. The matchup with the Hurricanes is set for 2 p.m. tip off and will air on ACC Network.

Syracuse Tickets
Season and individual tickets are available at cuse.com/feature/basketball-tickets

For complete coverage of Syracuse men's basketball, follow the team on X (@Cuse_MBB) and Instagram (cuse_mbb).