Syracuse Men's Basketball Falls to Pittsburgh in OT

Orange finish regular season 15-16 overall, 6-12 in ACC play

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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Syracuse men's basketball closed its regular season with a 71-69 overtime loss to Pittsburgh at the JMA Wireless Dome. The Orange finished the regular season 15-16 overall and 6-12 in ACC play after dropping their fifth straight game. Pittsburgh improved to 12-19 and 5-13 in conference play.

Why it matters

This loss marks the end of a disappointing regular season for Syracuse, who will enter the ACC Tournament as the No. 14 seed. The game also likely signaled the final home game for head coach Adrian Autry, whose future with the program remains uncertain.

The details

Syracuse carried a 31-28 lead into halftime, but Pittsburgh took control early in the second half with a 12-0 run to build a 45-35 advantage. The Orange responded with a 10-0 run to tie the game at 52-52 with just over six minutes to play. The teams traded baskets in the closing minutes of regulation before Freeman tied the game at 65-65 with two free throws to send it to overtime. In the extra period, neither team scored in the final 2:37 until Pitt's Nojus Indrusaitis drove to the basket and officials ruled goaltending on William Kyle III, giving the Panthers a 71-69 lead. Naithan George's halfcourt attempt at the buzzer missed.

  • Syracuse carried a 31-28 lead into halftime.
  • Pittsburgh took control early in the second half with a 12-0 run to build a 45-35 advantage.
  • The Orange responded with a 10-0 run to tie the game at 52-52 with just over six minutes to play.
  • The teams traded baskets in the closing minutes of regulation before Freeman tied the game at 65-65 with two free throws to send it to overtime.
  • In the extra period, neither team scored in the final 2:37 until Pitt's Nojus Indrusaitis drove to the basket and officials ruled goaltending on William Kyle III, giving the Panthers a 71-69 lead.

The players

Naithan George

A Syracuse player who led the Orange with 26 points, including 12 in the first half.

Donnie Freeman

A Syracuse player who scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

Nojus Indrusaitis

A Pittsburgh player who drove to the basket in the final seconds of overtime and was ruled to have scored the game-winning basket.

William Kyle III

A Syracuse player who was called for goaltending on Indrusaitis' game-winning basket.

Adrian Autry

The head coach of the Syracuse men's basketball team, whose future with the program remains uncertain after this loss.

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What they’re saying

“I thought we would get a shot off because the play was pretty simple.... We didn't do that.”

— Adrian Autry, Head Coach (Cuse Sports Talk)

What’s next

The Orange will enter the ACC Tournament as the No. 14 seed and face SMU in the first round on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in Charlotte.

The takeaway

This loss caps a disappointing regular season for Syracuse, who will look to regroup and make a run in the ACC Tournament. The game also raises questions about the future of head coach Adrian Autry and the direction of the program moving forward.