Syracuse's Kingz hits late shot to beat SMU

Senior guard's game-winner caps comeback victory for Orange

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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Senior guard Nate Kingz hit the go-ahead basket with two seconds remaining to give the Syracuse Orange a 79-78 win over the SMU Mustangs on Saturday. The Orange trailed by as much as 12 points in the first half but battled back, led by 18 points from sophomore forward Donnie Freeman and 13 points each from Kingz and Kiyan Anthony in the second half.

Why it matters

The win keeps Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament hopes alive as they improve to 15-11 overall and 6-7 in the ACC. The Orange will now have a quick turnaround as they head to Duke for a crucial Monday night matchup.

The details

After Syracuse’s Tyler Betsy grabbed a rebound following a missed floater from SMU’s Boopie Miller, the Orange took a timeout with 13 seconds left as they trailed 78-77. Kingz then inbounded the ball to Naithan George, who gave it back to Kingz, who drove left, spun, and laid in the game-winning basket with two seconds remaining.

  • The game was played on Saturday, February 15, 2026.

The players

Nate Kingz

A senior guard for the Syracuse Orange who hit the game-winning shot.

Donnie Freeman

A sophomore forward for the Syracuse Orange who scored a game-high 18 points.

Kiyan Anthony

A player for the Syracuse Orange who scored 13 points in the second half to help the team rally.

Adrian Autry

The head coach of the Syracuse men’s basketball team.

Boopie Miller

A player for the SMU Mustangs who missed a shot late that led to Syracuse’s game-winning possession.

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What they’re saying

“I was very confident we would get a shot off. If we can get [Kingz] the ball, get him downhill, I knew we would get a shot off.”

— Adrian Autry, Head Coach, Syracuse Men’s Basketball (spectrumlocalnews.com)

“I know I’ve hit a couple of game-tying threes in my career, but that’s my first one.”

— Nate Kingz (spectrumlocalnews.com)

“He delivered, executed the play, just the way we drew it up.”

— Adrian Autry, Head Coach, Syracuse Men’s Basketball (spectrumlocalnews.com)

“I know the work I put in. It might not necessarily show the next day or the day after that. But just staying positive, staying ready through it all. I could’ve shut down easily, curled into a ball, but I was just ready.”

— Kiyan Anthony, Player, Syracuse Orange (spectrumlocalnews.com)

“We just had to execute. We were trying to get a smaller guy on him. I feel like we did a great job of that, whoever set a very screen to get the switch, and we was ready. He’s ready for that moment.”

— Kiyan Anthony, Player, Syracuse Orange (spectrumlocalnews.com)

What’s next

Syracuse will have a quick turnaround as they head to Duke for a crucial Monday night matchup.

The takeaway

Nate Kingz’s game-winning shot capped a comeback victory for Syracuse, keeping their NCAA Tournament hopes alive and setting up a big showdown with Duke in just a few days.