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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Syracuse’s season remains alive following a 66-62 win over Florida State in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. The Orange dominated the Seminoles, only trailing for 32 seconds in the entire game, all of which came in the first half. Eddie Lampkin scored a game-high 12 points in the first 20 minutes, as SU built a four-point lead at the break.

In the second half, Syracuse was dominant on the offensive glass and built a 16-point lead with 13:15 left. SU looked to be cruising to the second round, but FSU cut it to a one-possession game with less than a minute left. Despite shooting just 12-of-22 from the free-throw line, Kyle Cuffe Jr. and Jyáre Davis iced the game at the charity stripe to help Syracuse advance.

Now, the Orange face No. 6-seed Southern Methodist University for the second time in eight days. Here’s everything you need to know about No. 6-seed SMU (22-9, 13-7 ACC) ahead of its matchup with No. 14-seed Syracuse (14-18, 7-13 ACC) in the second round of the ACC Tournament:

All-time series

SMU leads 1-0.

Last time they played …

SMU took down Syracuse 77-75 on March 4 in its final regular-season road game of the season. The Orange were in complete control against the Mustangs for much of the game. They led by 12 points with less than 10 minutes left but ultimately couldn’t hold on. The loss came four days after another capitulation in Blacksburg, where it blew a 16-point lead. It was the Orange’s third consecutive road game in which they blew a double-digit lead in the second half.

After Jaquan Carlos split free throws with 27 seconds left, SMU had a chance to hold for a final shot. Boopie Miller missed a floater, but Keon Ambrose-Hylton tipped in the offensive rebound with three seconds left to complete the comeback. Lucas Taylor and Chris Bell led the way with 13 points. Six different SMU players finished in double figures, led by Kario Oquendo’s 16 points.

KenPom odds

Syracuse has a 25% chance of winning, with a projected score of 82-74.

The Mustangs report

This will be SMU’s first ACC Tournament appearance since joining the conference last July. The Mustangs have their work cut out for them if they want to make the NCAA Tournament under first-year head coach Andy Enfield. They limped to the finish line in the regular season, dropping two of their final three regular-season games, including a loss to Florida State in its regular-season finale. It could’ve easily been three losses in a row for the Mustangs if Syracuse hadn’t blown its late lead over a week ago.

SMU’s strength is in its offensive diversity. All five of its starters are averaging at least 10 points, while sixth man, Oquendo, is also in double figures with 10.9. Miller is the engine behind the Mustangs, leading them in scoring with 13.4 points per game. Down the stretch of the season, Miller missed five games with an injury but returned for SMU’s final two regular-season games, scoring 11 and 16 points, respectively, against Syracuse and Florida State.

Miller is SMU’s most prolific scorer but doesn’t shoot nearly as many 3-pointers as its other contributors. Chuck Harris (159), Matt Cross (122) and Oquendo (121) all have the green light from beyond the arc. The Mustangs are extremely proficient from deep, hitting 38% of their 3s, which ranks 18th in the country and second in the ACC.

How Syracuse beats SMU

Syracuse needs to keep the ball in J.J. Starling’s hands as much as possible, especially in the second half. SU’s leading scorer took over in the final 20 minutes against FSU, scoring 19 of his game-high 27 points. Starling lived in the lane, often driving left and getting to the rim with ease. If Starling can play like that, the Orange could have a shot at winning a second game in a row. Though last time out against SMU, Starling had his worst shooting performance of the season, going 3-of-17 for 10 points.

The Orange have struggled with the same late-game issue throughout the season. If they get a lead in the second half, they need to protect it. SU’s in-game management has been poor, leading to countless blown leads. It must play smart basketball to move on to the quarterfinals.

Stat to know: 55%

Syracuse was atrocious from the free-throw line against Florida State, shooting 55% to nearly cost them the game. Heading into the final minute, SU was 8-of-18 from the line. But Cuffe and Davis hit four clutch free throws to seal the victory.

Free-throw shooting has been a problem for Syracuse all season. The Orange hit 70.6% of their attempts, which is the 242nd-worst mark in the country and the second-worst in the ACC. SMU isn’t much better than SU, knocking down free throws at a 72.1% rate.

Player to watch: Chuck Harris, guard, No. 13

Harris plays second fiddle to Miller, but is a capable scorer on his own. When Miller was out, Harris took on the load as SMU’s top option. He averages 12.9 points per game, but is most dangerous from beyond the arc. The senior knocks down 43.4% of his 3s, a team-high excluding Jackson Young, who has only shot four 3s. In Syracuse’s first matchup with SMU, Harris was relatively quiet, only putting up nine shots and making just two 3s.

Published on March 12, 2025 at 2:15 pm

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