Syracuse, NY – Greetings from Syracuse, where the heaviest snowfall in 80 years was no match for people who know how to use a shovel.
The Orange played Clemson on New Year’s Eve. So depending on your allegiance, you either had something to celebrate or something to forget.
First half: Clemson 29, Syracuse 28. Final: Clemson 64, Syracuse 61.
Syracuse had a chance to tie the game at the end, but Donnie Freeman missed a 3 with about 5 seconds left.
1/62
Syracuse Orange Mens Basketball 2025-26: Syracuse vs. Clemson
What happened:
Freeman played his first minutes since Monmouth on November 18.
He looked rusty.
The ball stuck to him too often in the first half. He made two 3-pointers and made five total shots and missed none of them.
Most of those shots were hard. The one he should have rolled off the rim. He will need some time to adjust to the speed of the game and figure out where he fits in with his teammates on offense.
He scored his first bucket on another hard drive, a leaner on the baseline with 11:37 left. That basket got the Orange within six of Clemson. He then scored again on SU’s next possession.
His 3-pointer with about five minutes left put SU within 54-50. He’s been crucial for Syracuse down that stretch, his ability to score — and shoot free throws — so important for a team that has struggled to do either of those things at times.
He finished with a team-high 18 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes.
Freeman also helped tremendously on the defensive glass, something he is very good at.
After the first minutes Syracuse really watched the Tigers.
The Orange forced two clock violations late in the first half. Clemson was a miserable 1-for-10 from 3-point range.
Clemson’s saving grace has been its interior dominance. Always big and physical inside, the Tigers outscored SU 24-10 in the paint.
They drove it there, they lobbied it there. Clemson starts a 6-10 guy and a 6-11 guy. That’s where the vast majority of Clemson’s points came from. The Tigers lured William Kyle into fouling with two (although Akir Souare was a solid replacement). Kyle didn’t attempt a shot, grabbing one rebound in nine minutes of the first half.
Syracuse went for the free throw line 12 times in this first half and made nine of them.
The Orange attempted nine more free throws than the Tigers in the half. SU players attacked and were fouled by Clemson.
Tyler Betsey, who entered the game shooting 58.3% from the line, drained three straight in the first half. He played just nine minutes in the first half and led the team in scoring with eight points.
Syracuse, which has had its well-publicized problems on the line, was good there on Wednesday. SU was 20-of-24, Freeman’s 6-of-6 assists in that category. The Orange made 12 more free throws than the Tigers and outrebounded Clemson by 14 at the line.
After JJ Starling scored to lead the Orange 30-29 in the second half, Syracuse did not score for 3 minutes, 33 seconds. Turnovers. Clock violation. A press attempt that ended in a Clemson putback.
SU drove into the zone and Clemson, who had only had a 3 up to that point, made one to extend their lead to 43-33. That marked the end of the zone.
Syracuse crawled to within 49-45 after Starling’s lob to Kyle, who scored his first points of the game at that point. Clemson called time.
RJ Godfrey, who started his career at Clemson, transferred to Georgia for a year and then transferred back to Clemson, scored inside. He’s a tough, physical guy and SU had their hands full with him.
He then picked up his fourth foul at the 6:01 mark and left the game with his (then) leading 14 points.
But Clemson, who made exactly one 3-point shot in the first half, made two huge shots.
I’m talking specifically about Dillon Hunter, who drained a 3 to push Clemson’s lead to 54-47, then drained another to maintain a seven-point lead at 57-50.
Those two shots were huge. He followed those baskets with a layup and suddenly Clemson led 59-50 very late in the game.
Then Freeman made two free throws and drained a 3. He found the groove on the offensive end and Clemson couldn’t guard him.
After George drained a jumper from the baseline to get SU within four, the Orange forced a 5-second violation on Clemson’s drive, but SU immediately turned it around when Freeman passed to the Tiger.
BUT! Clemson fouled the clock, then Syracuse scored when George slipped a pass to Freeman inbounds.
Clemson led 63-61 and SU called time with 42.1 seconds left. The Tigers tried to chase down Hunter, who got through Nate Kingz, but was picked off by Kyle, who knocked his attempt to the rim with 16.4 left to play and 4.3 on the shot.
Brad Brownell called time.
The ball went in Carter Welling. Freeman fouled him with 14.9 left. Welling made the first, missed the second. Freeman grabbed the rebound and the Orange marched down the court for three. Freeman’s 3-point attempt with about 4 seconds left missed and SU couldn’t get the rebound.
And that was it.
Paint points: Clemson 46, Syracuse 24. Although two of the biggest daggers in the game came from Dillon Hunter and his back-to-back 3s in the second half.
COMMENT: The Baldwinsville band performed again. Many of those children wore hats to their New Year’s Eve party. … I’m not sure what happened to the “juicing station,” but those Syracuse guys on the bench were very quiet. The crowd in the dome, which was very good especially when the area was covered in snow, stood for the final minutes of the game.
Leave a Reply