Syracuse men’s basketball wrapped up its non-conference schedule with a 77-48 home victory over Stonehill, improving to 9-4, though the performance was uneven despite the lopsided final score. Free-throw struggles returned as they finished just 14-for-29 at the line.
Naithan George paced Syracuse with 22 points, while JJ Starling followed with 20. Nate Kingz and Sadiq White chipped in 13 points apiece. William Kyle struggled offensively, finishing with three points, but made his presence felt elsewhere with 10 rebounds and three blocks.
The Orange came out sharp, knocking down four of their first six shots from deep and jumping out to a double-digit lead within the opening five minutes. Starling fueled the early surge, quickly reaching the scoring milestone he needed to surpass 1,000 career points at Syracuse.
Momentum slowed once Syracuse went deeper into its rotation, allowing Stonehill to stay within striking distance. Offensive rebounds by the Seahawks and a late scoring drought limited the Orange to four points in the closing minutes of the first half, though Syracuse still carried a 39-27 lead into the break.
Defensive intensity improved after halftime, but continued struggles at the foul line prevented Syracuse from pulling away. Stonehill trimmed the deficit to 11 midway through the half before a decisive 9-0 run finally created separation. Kingz played a key role during that stretch with a three-pointer, a block leading to transition points and strong work on the glass.
Syracuse finished 9-for-21 from three-point range and committed just five turnovers. The Orange defense held Stonehill to 26 percent shooting and recorded 12 blocks, sealing a win that was steadier on the defensive end than the offensive one.
GAME RECAP LINKS
- Syracuse Trounces Stonehill in Non-Conference Finale (Cuse.com)
- Syracuse closes nonconference play with 77-48 win over Stonehill (DailyOrange.com)
- Syracuse men’s basketball: Orange cruise past Stonehill 77-48 (NunesMagician.com)
- Hot start, hotter finish power Syracuse past Stonehill to close non-conference slate (SI.com)
- Observations from SU’s win vs. Stonehill: Starling-George offense, putaway punch (DailyOrange.com)
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
ADRIAN AUTRY’S POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
FROM SOCIAL MEDIA
JJ in attack mode 😤 pic.twitter.com/f3r25eqE5C
— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) December 23, 2025
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
