The Mustangs collapse, surrendering a late lead as Syracuse snatches victory with a buzzer-beating layup.
SMU basketball did plenty right Saturday afternoon inside the JWA Wireless Dome. It just didn’t finish the job.
The Mustangs watched a double-digit second-half lead slip away as Syracuse closed strong, stealing a 79-78 win on a Nate Kingz layup with two seconds remaining.
The loss drops SMU to 17-8 overall and 6-6 in ACC play, while the Orange improved to 15-11 and 6-7 in conference action.
SMU appeared in control midway through the second half, building a 61-49 advantage with just over 12 minutes to play. The Mustangs dominated inside, scoring 44 points in the paint and piling up a season-high 27 second-chance points behind 16 offensive rebounds.
When SMU controls the interior like that, it usually wins - the Mustangs entered the game 13-4 when outscoring opponents in the paint.
But Syracuse chipped away.
Donnie Freeman led the Orange with 18 points and altered the game defensively with four blocked shots. Tyler Betsey knocked down a key three-pointer with 3:50 left to pull Syracuse within one, and Naithan George followed with a layup on the next trip down the floor to swing the momentum.
The Mustangs went 13-of-17 at the free-throw line overall but missed two critical attempts in the final minute. They also came up empty on four straight field-goal tries during the closing stretch, leaving the door open for Syracuse’s final possession.
After securing a defensive rebound with 13 seconds left, the Orange called timeout. Out of the break, Kingz attacked the lane and finished through traffic for the decisive basket.
Jaden Toombs paced SMU with 19 points and five rebounds off the bench, continuing his strong stretch. Corey Washington added 13 points and nine boards, while Jaron Pierre Jr. scored 12 to surpass 2,025 career points, ranking him fourth among active Division I players entering the night.
Boopie Miller extended his remarkable streak to 32 consecutive games in double figures with 11 points, the longest such run at SMU since at least 2000.
Despite shooting 43.3 percent from the field and collecting 16 assists, SMU couldn’t overcome Syracuse’s 11 made 3-pointers and timely shot-making down the stretch.
The Mustangs now return home to Moody Coliseum for a pivotal ACC matchup against No. 24 Louisville on Tuesday night.
With NCAA Tournament positioning in focus - SMU entered the weekend ranked No. 35 in the NET - every possession matters from here on out.