Syracuse Stuns SMU In Nail-Biting NCAA Tournament Showdown

Syracuse Stuns SMU In Nail-Biting NCAA Tournament Showdown...

Syracuse pulled off a dramatic 72-68 victory over SMU in the NCAA Tournament's first round on Thursday night, sending shockwaves through March Madness brackets nationwide. The Orange's late-game heroics, including a clutch three-pointer by guard Judah Mintz with 22 seconds left, sealed the upset in Dayton, Ohio.

The game trended across social media as fans debated the controversial no-call on SMU's final possession, where guard Zhuric Phelps appeared to be fouled driving to the basket. NCAA officials later confirmed the play was reviewed but stood as called.

Syracuse (22-11) advances to face No. 3 seed Tennessee on Saturday, while SMU (23-10) ends its season after earning an at-large bid. The Mustangs hadn't made the tournament since 2017, adding to the emotional stakes for the Dallas-based program.

Viewership peaked at 4.3 million during the final minutes, according to CBS Sports. The matchup drew particular interest as a rare meeting between power-conference Syracuse and American Athletic contender SMU, with betting lines favoring the Mustangs by 2.5 points.

Syracuse coach Adrian Autry told reporters postgame: "These guys showed the heart we've seen all season." SMU's Rob Lanier called it "a tough way to end," but praised his team's resilience. The game's trending status reflects March Madness' cultural grip, with over 17 million brackets submitted to ESPN's tournament challenge.

Notable performances included SMU's Samuell Williamson (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Syracuse's Chris Bell (5-of-7 from three-point range). The Orange's signature 2-3 zone defense held SMU to 39% shooting in the second half.

With the win, Syracuse improves to 5-1 in NCAA Tournament games played in Dayton. The program now has 68 all-time tournament victories, ranking ninth among Division I schools.