Syracuse escapes bad foul shooting and Monmouth in a foul-marred game

The Orange led by as many as 14 points, but let the Hawks stick around with some bad work at the fould line.

Nov 18, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange guard Nate Kingz (4) shoots against Monmouth Hawks guard Justin Ray (left) during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

It was a struggle, but Syracuse kept their early season record spotless, holding off Monmouth late for a 78-73 home victory.  The Orange (4-0) were briefly comfortable when the lead grew to 14 points in the second half, but they simply could not maintain that lead over the Hawks (1-3), who valiantly rallied down the stretch.

Midway through the second half, SU hung a 9-2 run to build that largest lead at 59-45.  That margin touched 14 points on four more occasions, the last with just under seven minutes to go.

The last several minutes turned into a near-horror show

Monmouth immediately halved that in under 90 seconds, but the Orange stretched the lead back to double figures, peaking at 73-62 after a William Kyle III three-point play with 2:48 remaining.  The Hawks had the lead down to six in under 90 seconds.

J.J. Starling made one of two foul shots, followed by Jason Rivera-Torres making a layup to bring the guests within five. Kyle turned the ball over and Jack Collins hit a 3-pointer to bring Monmouth within 74-72.

SU called timeout to begin offense-defense substitutions.  Donnie Freeman got fouled and made two shots to stretch the lead to four.  Rivera-Torres made one foul shot to make it a one-possession game.

Bryce Zephir missed two free throws for Syracuse, but Rivera-Torres missed a potential game-tying 3.  Freeman got fouled and made both shots to effectively end the game.

The Orange got a balanced attack on offense

Freeman led the Orange with 18 points, making 12-of-14 foul shots in the game.  Nate Kingz had his best game of the season, hitting three 3-pointers and scoring 15 points.  Naithan George fell just shy of a double-double with 12 points and nine assists while Starling finished with 11 points.

Justin Ray paced all scorers in the game with 25 points for Monmouth, including a 4-for-7 performance from beyond the arc.  Stefanos Spartalis added 18 points before fouling out and Jack Collins chipped in with 11 points.

Poor foul shooting was a theme for the Orange as they allowed Monmouth to stick around, making just 10-of-21 after the break on a night when the officials called 47 fouls.  That ineffective shooting offset a 14-for-23 effort from the field in the second half, which should have been more than enough to send the Hawks packing.

Neither side could truly grab control of the game in the first half.  Monmouth led by four with just over eight minutes left in the first half, but Syracuse stormed back with seven straight points for a 25-22 lead.  The Hawks answered with a pair of baskets to put the Hawks back up, but the Orange ripped off a 9-0 run for a 34-26 lead with 2:30 on the clock.

After a loose ball foul was called on Sadiq White Jr., SU coach Adrian Autry was called for a technical foul.  Ray made four straight foul shots, triggering Monmouth to score seven of nine points to bring the visitors within 36-33 at halftime.

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