Three takeaways from Syracuse's 77-48 victory over Stonehill

The Orange dominated the last ten minutes of play, turning a competitive game into a blowout

Dec 22, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange guard Naithan George (11) makes a reverse lay up over the defense of Stonehill Skyhawks forward Pearse McGuinn (31) and guard Charlie Diamantis (22) in the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Syracuse got out to a quick start against Stonehill, then only briefly were within two possessions against their final non-conference foe.  The Orange (9-4) finally were able to put away the Skyhawks (3-10) late in the second half in a 77-48 victory at the JMA Wireless Dome.

Here are three things SU can take with them when ACC play begins after their holiday break.

Efficient and effective guard play

Both Naithan George and J.J. Starling were effective on offense from the jump for Syracuse.  George hit 3-of-5 3-pointers, bringing his season-long mark over 30 percent, as part of a 7-of-12 night that netted a game-high 22 points.  Starling had seven points in the first two-and-a-half minutes en route to 20 points in the game.

The duo were particularly sharp in the first half, combining to hit 11-of-17 shots from the floor as they posted 27 of the 39 Orange points.  They both cooled down some in the second half, but still tallied 15 points while handing out four assists as Sadiq White Jr. and Nate Kingz did the heaviest lifting on offense.

Both guards set season-highs for scoring on the season in the game.  The duo are among six SU players averaging double figures for their balanced offense.

The defense really made Stonehill work

While it was not as showy as it has been at times this season, the Syracuse defense was still quite effective.  While they forced 15 turnovers, that is a far cry from their season-best mark of 22 and just over their average of 14.5 miscues.

Where the Orange really made their mark was extending possessions on the defensive end, not conceding open looks on many possessions.  As a result, the Skyhawks made a mere five 2-point field goals in the game.

In fact, Stonehill went over 20 minutes of game time in one stretch between made shots inside the arc.  From the 10:49 mark of the first half until 10:44 remained in the game, the Skyhawks went 0-for-11 on 2-point field goal attempts.  Six of those misses went into the scorebook as blocked shots for SU, including four at the rim.

Spread out 3-point shooting across the roster

It was the best night of perimeter shooting of the season for Syracuse, as they tied their best single-game percentage mark (42.9) and established a new high in 3-pointers made with nine.

Kingz was the top gun from beyond the arc, hitting 3-of-4 from long range to break a 1-for-8 slump over the previous two games.  Naithan George matched Kingz’s productivity with a 3-of-5 line while Starling connected twice and White splashed his lone attempt.

All told, the quartet went 9-of-16 from long range.  While Kiyan Anthony, Tyler Betsey and Ibrahim Souare (!) combined to miss five 3’s, spreading the success around should help grow the team’s confidence as they head into conference action.

While the Orange struggled behind the arc in their four games against top tier competition, shooting 25.9 percent, they have bounced back to connect on 30-of-87 triples for a 34.5 percent mark in their last five games.  The key will be figuring out how to sustain that level of shooting as they enter ACC action.

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