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As the Syracuse Orange’s matchup versus No. 3 Houston progressed, the doors were closing in on its chances of winning as the game clock got closer to reaching zero.
Syracuse previously held a nine-point lead in the first half. It would be down three (37-34) heading into the second half, when the Cougars started to take command. Houston’s defensive pressure ramped up and Syracuse’s offense was stuck in the mud. But, despite being down by as much as 11 points (65-54) with less than five minutes left, the team rallied and pushed back to force overtime in a 78-74 loss to Houston.
“We pride ourselves as our culture, our energy, our connections, our toughness, our fight. That’s what we talk about,” coach Adrian Autry said after the game. “So, I was just proud that these guys had a chance to actually see it and experience it. As we move forward, we’ll continue to get better.”
With 4:56 to go, Syracuse called timeout, regrouped and found its gear again.
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For the rest of regulation, Syracuse held Houston to just two points (both free throws) and zero baskets. On offense, it took several players to attack the Cougars’ elite defense and put the ball in the basket.
J.J. Starling began the scoring run with a layup in semi-transition. After Houston’s Emanuel Sharp knocked down two free throws, Starling and William Kyle each scored again around the rim. It was another key reason why Syracuse was able to storm back. The Orange outscored the Cougars by 14 points in the paint.
The pattern continued: stop, then score.
It was Tyler Betsey’s turn to step up, collecting a rebound off a missed free throw by Starling to get the deficit down to five points (67-62). It was then three after another stop by the Orange defense was followed a score by Kyle. Houston had two chances to essentially put the game away with under 90 seconds left, but didn’t.
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Instead, Kyle collected the loose ball rebound. Naithan George pushed the ball up court and found Betsey…
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Publish date : 2025-11-25 15:00:00
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