Syracuse University
13-11,4-7ACC
Virginia
20-3,9-2ACC
Orange Dropped by #18/17 Virginia
2/7/2026 2:07:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Naithan George was surgical from the field, missing just one shot while scoring 19 points, but Syracuse (13-11, 4-7 ACC) fell to #18/17 Virginia (20-3, 9-2 ACC), 72-59, at John Paul Jones Arena on Saturday afternoon.
George's 19 points led all scorers on 8-of-9 (.889) shooting while seniors Nate Kingz and J.J. Starling each added 13 points. Senior William Kyle III recorded four blocks on the defensive end.Â
Syracuse held the Cavaliers to 26-of-63 (.413) shooting, but Virginia knocked down 10 3-pointers to fuel the offense. Sam Lewis led the way for the Cavaliers with 16 points on four triples.
Syracuse clawed back to within four points at 61-57 with 5:10 remaining after going on a 7-2 run, but the offense went cold down the stretch as Virginia pulled away. Syracuse endured a 2:36 scoring drought as the Cavaliers pushed their lead back to eight at 65-57.
Kingz snapped the streak with a driving layup at the 2:34 mark, but Chance Mallory answered moments later with a 3-pointer to put the game out of reach.
Virginia added a pair of buckets in the closing possessions to seal a 72-59 victory, capping a 7-0 run as Syracuse failed to score after Kingz's basket.
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Syracuse jumped out to an early lead behind its backcourt duo of Starling and George. Starling knocked down a pair of buckets while George converted a couple of layups to account for all eight of Syracuse's first points as the Orange led 8-4 through the first three-and-a-half minutes.
The Cavaliers struggled to find a rhythm early on, shooting just 1-of-7 (.143) over that stretch before Malik Thomas ignited the Virginia offense with a 3-pointer that sparked a 12-0 run over the next 4:03 to surge ahead 16-8.
George snapped the drought with a pair of free throws and a pull-up jumper, cutting the deficit to four at 16-12 with 11:55 left in the half. George accounted for eight of Syracuse's first 14 points.
ÂOrange Storm Back to Erase the Deficit Before Halftime
The Cavaliers built their lead to as many as 12 points in the opening half before Syracuse flipped the script. The Orange stormed back with a 16-5 run in less than five minutes to erase the deficit.
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Starling paced the offense during the stretch, hitting a pair of layups and a jumper for six points. Sophomore Tyler Betsey rattled home a 3-pointer, then George converted a layup and drew a foul for a three-point play to tie the game at 33-33 with 3:20 left in the half.
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Virginia answered with a couple buckets in the final moments to take a 38-35 advantage into the break.
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Syracuse shot 14-of-24 (.583) from the field in the opening 20 minutes. George led the offense with 13 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting performance, while Starling added 10 points.
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Tug-of-War Start to the Second
The Orange and Cavaliers went back-and-forth over the first six minutes of the half. George continued his onslaught, scoring four points while Kingz added a 3-pointer and Starling and Kyle III chipped in baskets. Virginia had an answer on the other end after the makes, though, maintaining a 51-46 advantage at the 14-minute mark.
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Both offenses went cold after the fast start to the half. Syracuse endured a near four-minute scoring drought, while Virginia managed just four points over a nearly three-minute stretch, failing to capitalize on the string of stops. The Cavaliers led 57-48 with 9:54 remaining.
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Orange Rally Late
Syracuse used a 7-2 run over a two minute stretch to draw within four of the Cavaliers with five minutes to go. Kingz and George each notched field goals while sophomore Ibrahim Souare threw down an alley-oop to bring the Orange within reach before the Cavaliers pulled away.
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Notable Numbers
- George and Starling accounted for 23 of the Orange's 35 first-half points.
- George did not miss a shot attempt until there were 3:10 remaining in the contest.
- Kyle III's four blocks were a career-high in an ACC tilt.
- Kingz extended his streak to 13 consecutive games with a 3-pointer made.
- 10 3-pointers is the most by an ACC opponent against the Orange this season.
- Virginia won the rebound battle, grabbing 38 to Syracuse's 28.
Up Next
The Orange return home to the JMA Wireless Dome next week to take on California. The matchup with the Golden Bears is set for a 7:00 p.m. tip off on Wednesday, February 11 and will air on ESPNU.
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Syracuse Tickets
Season and individual tickets are available at cuse.com/feature/basketball-tickets
