Syracuse men’s basketball battled another Quad 1 opponent on Tuesday but couldn’t keep pace late, falling 71-60 to Kansas in its second game of the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. The Orange (4-2) trailed by double digits for much of the first half, closed the gap to two after the break and briefly swung momentum their way, but an extended cold stretch sealed their second loss in as many days. Syracuse finished at just 32% shooting, including 7-for-30 from deep, while the Jayhawks (5-2) shot 44% and controlled the glass.
Tyler Betsey led the Orange with 12 points, all coming from beyond the arc. Nate Kingz, Sadiq White Jr., and William Kyle each added nine, with Kyle also grabbing eight rebounds and providing needed interior scoring. Syracuse’s guards struggled to find a rhythm, as J.J. Starling, Kiyan Anthony and Naithan George combined for only 19 points on a challenging shooting night.
Kansas balanced its scoring, with Tre White posting 15 points, Flory Bidunga delivering a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double and Bryson Tiller adding 11 points and eight boards. The Jayhawks built an early lead behind Bidunga’s strong start and later used an 8-0 second-half stretch to regain control after Syracuse pulled within two.
The Orange showed fight throughout, hanging around with timely threes and brief scoring bursts, but Kansas’ size and efficiency ultimately kept the game out of reach.
Syracuse will play at least once more at the Players Era Festival, with its next opponent determined by the remaining Tuesday results.
GAME RECAP LINKS
- Syracuse starts flat, falls to Kansas 71-60 in 2nd game of Players Era (DailyOrange.com)
- Syracuse men’s basketball: Orange comeback effort falls short in 71-60 loss to Kansas (NunesMagician.com)
- Observations from Syracuse’s loss vs. Kansas: Late collapse, offense struggles (DailyOrange.com)
- Syracuse’s upset bid comes up short again as Kansas pulls away late (Syracuse.com)
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Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].