The Syracuse basketball team has been doing really well. They’re ranked No. 40 in the NET and eighth best in the ACC as of December 22, 2025. Still, they’ve got to accumulate key wins.

That’s because their ranking are a result of 11 nonconference games that did not come against Q4 opponents. So they need to prove themselves to make it to the Big Dance. But can they?

Well, Syracuse certainly holds the record. Coming off a 13-2 record, Syracuse had just come up with a dominant 73-58 showing against Q3 opponent Wake Forest. The thirteenth meeting started with a basket from Uche Izoje. T

hen Wake Forest went on a run as Orange tried to creep up. But then, Laila Phelia put in a three-point play. That gave Syracuse an edge for the remainder of the first quarter.

Wake Forest made back-to-back three-point baskets. But then Phelia shot a crucial shot beyond the arc that gave Syracuse a 32-31 advantage to close out the first half.

But that wasn’t enough. As Burrows buried two deep three-pointers, Phelia added one from the corner. 

Finally, all these efforts extended the Orange’s lead in the third quarter. But even defensively, SU was quite strong. The team kept Wake Forest scoreless for nearly six minutes and 43 seconds of play. This helped them to increase the lead to 55-39 heading into the final quarter. 

After that, Shy Hawkins stepped in. She shot 2 from the field and 2 from the line, making six points in the fourth quarter.

And Burrows’s two more buckets beyond the arc were enough to seal the 73-58 win. So yes, that’s how a crucial win landed for the Orange. But the challenges aren’t done yet.

What does Syracuse need to do next?

Three key trends could help the Orange make the Big Dance. First would be dominance against Q4 opponents. And it’s possible too. They have one-third of all ACC games against Q4 opponents. Then, the team needs to pass some key tests on the schedule to keep up a better record.

That would mean showing up big against Virginia Tech and Clemson at home, and Virginia and Miami on the road. These games would help determine how the rest of the season would go. Then it would be to get at least one Q1 win.

So, it’s a long way to go for Syracuse, and it starts with its next game as Syracuse welcomes Virginia Tech to the JMA Wireless Dome on January 8. So stay tuned!

Written by

Yashika Dutta

Edited by

Joyita Das