Syracuse basketball mounts huge comeback but comes up short at No. 14 North Carolina

Syracuse basketball lost by 10 points at No. 14 North Carolina on Monday evening in Chapel Hill, N.C., the Orange's fifth setback over its past six games. However, this doesn't tell the entire story.

On Monday night, the 'Cuse found itself down by 32 points in the second half against the Tar Heels. That's not a misprint; 32 points. It was blowout city at 72-40. Yet Syracuse basketball roared back and cut its massive deficit to as small as six points near the end of this Atlantic Coast Conference clash, at 83-77.

The Orange, on the road, went on a 37-11 run in the second half to make things respectable. I get that moral victories don't mean much, particularly for a Syracuse basketball squad that's only three contests above .500 deep into its 2025-26 campaign. But the 'Cuse ultimately outscored UNC by four points in the second half of an 87-77 loss.

Last week, at N.C. State, the Orange got crushed in the second half during a 20-point defeat. An issue for SU in 2025-26 has been falling apart in the second halves of its games. It looked like this trend would continue in Chapel Hill, but Syracuse basketball didn't throw in the towel. I give my alma mater props for that.

The 'Cuse (13-10 overall, 4-6 in ACC) is now 7-19 in its all-time series against the Tar Heels (18-4 overall, 6-3 in ACC). The Orange's daunting week continues when SU travels to No. 18 Virginia on Saturday, Feb. 7, beginning at 12:00 pm EST.

Syracuse basketball was gritty in the second half at North Carolina.

This past Saturday night, the Orange snapped its four-game losing streak by defeating Notre Dame, 86-72, at the JMA Wireless Dome. In that victory, the 'Cuse shared the ball well (21 assists) and took care of the ball well (just six turnovers).

Syracuse basketball didn't have the same kind of output at UNC. The Orange committed 10 turnovers and only had seven assists. The 'Cuse shot 45 percent from the field, 33 percent from beyond the arc and 68 percent from the free-throw line. North Carolina made 48 percent from the field, 44 percent from downtown and 71 percent from the charity stripe, where it outscored SU by 12 points (25-13). That was big.

In statistical categories, Syracuse basketball led 11-10 in turnovers forced, 12-9 in points off turnovers, 38-34 in paint points, 8-1 in blocks and 6-3 in steals. The Tar Heels, conversely, led 41-31 in total rebounds, 29-20 in defensive rebounds, 12-11 in offensive rebounds, 11-6 in second-chance points, 29-16 in bench points, 10-8 in fast-break points and 16-7 in assists.

Sophomore power forward Donnie Freeman led the Orange with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field. He didn't start against Notre Dame, but Freeman was back in the starting line-up versus UNC. He also tallied eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

Senior shooting guard J.J. Starling struggled with his shot, going 5-of-13 from the field. But he did finish with 13 points. Junior point guard Naithan George went 6-of-12 from the field. He had 15 points, four assists and just two turnovers.

Redshirt senior small forward Nate Kingz, who had 28 points in the win over the Fighting Irish, only took six shots against North Carolina. He went 3-of-6 from the field and 2-of-3 from deep, contributing eight points, four rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal. Kingz needs to be more assertive in looking for his shot.

Freshman shooting guard Kiyan Anthony added 10 points, although he was a mere 3-of-10 from the field (but 4-of-4 from the free-throw line). Redshirt sophomore big man Akir Souare, in 10 minutes, scored six points on 3-of-3 shooting.

The Orange missed out on a quadrant-one opportunity on Monday evening in Chapel Hill, but hey, at least Syracuse basketball covered the spread.