Syracuse Rally Falls Short Against #14/18 North Carolina

Monday, February 2

Chapel Hill, NC

7 PM

Syracuse University

13-10,4-6ACC

North Carolina

18-4,6-3ACC

Syracuse

North Carolina

Syracuse Rally Falls Short Against #14/18 North Carolina

2/2/2026 9:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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Syracuse (13-10, 4-6 ACC) mounted a late rally but could not overcome an early deficit, falling to #14/18 North Carolina (18-4, 6-3 ACC), 87-77, at the Dean E. Smith Center on Monday night.

Sophomore Donnie Freeman scored a game-high 23 points on 8-of-14 (.571) shooting with eight boards. Junior Naithan George chipped in 15 points with a team-best four assists. Senior J.J. Starling and freshman Kiyan Anthony also scored in double figures with 13 and 10 points, respectively.

Caleb Wilson paced North Carolina with 22 points paired with nine boards while Henri Veesaar posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. The Tar Heels outrebounded Syracuse, 41-31.

How the Game Was Decided
Syracuse used a late first-half surge to pull within five points at 34-29 with three minutes remaining in the first half. Yet, the Orange went cold down the stretch, and North Carolina capitalized with a decisive 12-3 run to close the opening period.

The Tar Heels shot 4-of-4 (1.000) from the field, making two 3-pointers during the sequence.

North Carolina carried that 46-32 halftime lead into the second half, and Syracuse, despite a dramatic comeback, never fully recovered from the deficit.

Tar Heels Start Fast
Starling opened the scoring with a pullup jumper, but North Carolina quickly responded with nine unanswered points during a 4:41 Syracuse scoring drought.

Freeman broke the cold spell with a jumper, cutting the deficit to 9-4. He added another bucket a couple possessions later, and Anthony knocked down a pair of free throws to make it 12-8. Freeman then converted two free throws of his own to pull Syracuse within 12-10 at the 11:27 mark.

Syracuse's offense went dry again, though, and the Tar Heels took advantage with a 13-2 run in under three minutes. Veesaar paced the spurt with six points, pushing North Carolina's lead to 25-12 with 8:41 left in the opening half.

Freeman Sparks the Offense
Facing a double-digit deficit, Freeman ignited a 15-7 Syracuse run to pull the Orange back within striking distance. The sophomore scored seven points, drilling a pair of jumpers and a 3-pointer from the top of the arc. Junior Naithan George added six points to help fuel the comeback.

After starting just 3-of-15 (.200) from the field, Syracuse made seven straight shots to claw back within reach before the Tar Heels closed the half strong, using the 12-3 run over the final three minutes to take a 46-32 lead into the break.

Freeman capped the half with a moving 3-pointer off the glass as time expired, giving him 18 points to go with six rebounds over the first 20 minutes. Wilson paced the Tar Heels with 13 points, while five different North Carolina players connected from beyond the arc in the opening half.

North Carolina Pulls Away in Second Half
The Tar Heels built onto its first-half lead in the first eight-and-a-half minutes of the second frame, outscoring the Orange 23-8, to pull ahead, 69-40. They started the half shooting 8-of-13 (.615) from the field without turning the ball over while Syracuse was 4-of-17 (.235).

North Carolina neutralized Freeman after his hot start, limiting him to just two shot attempts during that stretch.

Orange Late Push Falls Short
After falling behind by as many as 32 points, the Orange mounted a furious late rally. George sparked the comeback with a 3-pointer at the 6:55 mark, then added a pair of jumpers to fuel a 21-4 run in just over four minutes that cut the deficit to 80-66 with 2:18 remaining.

Syracuse continued to fight back as Starling converted three free throws after drawing a foul on a 3-point attempt. Senior Nate Kingz then drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 82-75. North Carolina's Seth Trimble answered with a free throw, but Starling hit another jumper to pull the Orange within six at 83-77.

The Tar Heels iced the game at the free-throw line, though, closing out an 87-77 victory despite Syracuse's 37-15 run over the final 9:38.

Notable Numbers

Freeman had his seventh 20-point game of the year.
Akir Souare recorded three made field goals for six points, both season-highs.
Five different players recorded a block in the contest -- Freeman (2), William Kyle III (2), George (2), Kingz (1) and Souare (1).
Eight blocks is the Orange's most in an ACC contest since December 31, 2022 when they recorded eight against Boston College.
Three different SU players hit multiple 3-pointers: Freeman, George and Kingz.
Syracuse scored 38 points in the paint.
North Carolina's Wilson had his 16^th 20-point performance of the season.

Up Next
The Orange stay on the road this weekend, taking on #18/17 Virginia at John Paul Jones Arena. The game is set for a noon tip and will air on ESPN.

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