Syracuse Basketball Ends Season with ACC Tournament Loss

Orange fall to SMU in first round of conference tournament

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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Syracuse University’s men’s basketball team saw its season come to an end on Tuesday with an 86-69 loss to SMU in the first round of the ACC Tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Orange finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 12-19 record, their second straight losing season under head coach Adrian Autry.

Why it matters

Syracuse has been a perennial power in college basketball, but the program has struggled in recent years, missing the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons. The loss to SMU marks the end of a difficult season for the Orange, raising questions about the direction of the program under Autry’s leadership.

The details

In the first-round matchup, SMU jumped out to a 39-38 halftime lead and then pulled away in the second half, outscoring Syracuse 47-31 over the final 20 minutes. The Mustangs were led by Boopie Miller, who scored a game-high 25 points, including five 3-pointers. Syracuse’s top scorers were Nate Kingz with 17 points and Tyler Betsey with 23 points, but the rest of the Orange roster struggled, with leading scorers JJ Starling and Donnie Freeman combining for just 9 points on 4-of-15 shooting.

  • Syracuse beat SMU 86-69 in the first round of the ACC Tournament on March 10, 2026.
  • Syracuse ended its regular season on a five-game losing streak.
  • SMU entered the tournament on a four-game losing streak.

The players

Adrian Autry

The head coach of the Syracuse men’s basketball team, who is in his second season leading the program after taking over for longtime coach Jim Boeheim.

Nate Kingz

A key player for Syracuse, scoring 17 points in the first half against SMU.

Tyler Betsey

A Syracuse player who scored 23 points and shot 5-of-8 from 3-point range in the loss to SMU.

JJ Starling

One of Syracuse’s top scorers who struggled mightily against SMU, scoring just 2 points on 1-of-6 shooting.

Donnie Freeman

A Syracuse player who had 7 points on 3-of-9 shooting and committed 4 turnovers in the loss.

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What they’re saying

“Yo ref, please don’t call that.”

— Jaron Pierre (Syracuse.com)

The takeaway

Syracuse’s early exit from the ACC Tournament caps off a disappointing season for the once-proud program, raising questions about the team’s direction and the ability of coach Adrian Autry to turn things around. With back-to-back losing seasons, the Orange will need to make significant improvements next year to regain their status as an ACC and national power.