Syracuse Rallies Past Boston College 79-71 Behind Starling’s 26 Points

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — The Syracuse Orange mounted a decisive 22-6 run in the final nine minutes to overcome Boston College 79-71 on Saturday at the Silvio O. Conte Forum. Junior guard JJ Starling led the charge with 26 points, including 20 in the second half, as Syracuse secured its first road win of the season.

Syracuse (8-8, 2-3 ACC) trailed 54-46 with nine minutes remaining before a 10-0 surge, capped by Starling’s driving floater, gave the Orange a 56-54 lead with 5:41 left. Kyle Cuffe Jr. provided a crucial spark off the bench, scoring all 10 of his points in the final eight minutes, including back-to-back 3-pointers that helped Syracuse pull away.

“JJ was phenomenal tonight,” Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry said. “He stepped up when we needed him most, and Kyle’s threes were huge momentum shifts.”

Starling, who missed seven games earlier this season with a broken left hand, shot 12-for-22 from the field and made his only free throws with 10 seconds remaining. Eddie Lampkin added 10 points and 13 rebounds, battling Boston College’s Chad Venning in a physical matchup under the basket.

Boston College (9-7, 1-4 ACC) was led by Donald Hand’s 20 points and Venning’s 17 points and 7 rebounds. The Eagles held an eight-point lead midway through the second half but struggled to contain Syracuse’s late surge. “We let it slip away,” Boston College coach Earl Grant said. “Syracuse made the plays down the stretch, and we didn’t respond.”

The Orange’s offense was largely stagnant in the second half until Cuffe’s layup with 8:30 remaining ignited the comeback. Syracuse shot just 5-for-15 from 3-point range but capitalized at the free-throw line, going 11-for-12 in the final minutes.

Syracuse’s win marked its second victory over a Power Five conference team this week, following a triumph over Georgia Tech on Tuesday. The Orange will return home to face Louisville on Tuesday night, seeking to build on their newfound momentum.