NEWTON, Mass. (Interstat) — In a game defined by squandered opportunities and a decisive extra period, the Syracuse Orange saw a late lead evaporate as the Boston College Eagles dominated overtime to secure an 81-73 victory in an Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Silvio O. Conte Forum.

A crowd of 8,606 watched as Syracuse, which entered as a 6.5-point favorite, built a five-point advantage with under a minute to play in regulation only to commit a series of critical turnovers that allowed Boston College to force overtime. The Eagles then seized control, outscoring the Orange 17-9 in the extra session to snap a three-game losing streak.

The most pivotal sequence unfolded in the final minute of the second half with Syracuse leading 64-61. Orange guard Naithan George committed a turnover with 59 seconds left, which Boston College’s Chase Forte stole. Forte then gave the ball right back with a turnover of his own, stolen by George, offering Syracuse a chance to salt the game away. Instead, George immediately turned it over again, this time out of bounds with 52 seconds remaining. After a missed three-pointer by Boston College’s Boden Kapke, Syracuse had the ball and a three-point lead with 19 seconds left.

The Orange called a full timeout to advance the ball, but on the ensuing inbounds play, George committed his third turnover in a 40-second span, stolen by Forte. This final miscue set up Boston College’s Donald Hand, who drained a game-tying three-pointer from the wing with seven seconds remaining to knot the score at 64 and ultimately send the game to overtime.

Syracuse never recovered. Boston College scored the first six points of the extra period and closed the game on a 17-4 run from the final minute of regulation through the end of overtime. The Eagles’ Fred Payne, who finished with a game-high 26 points, and Hand, who scored 12, combined to go 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in the final 32 seconds of overtime to seal the win.

The outcome was a stark contrast to the game’s statistical profile in several key areas. Syracuse shot a higher percentage from the field, 44.1% to Boston College’s 41.3%, and outscored the Eagles 36-32 in the paint. However, Boston College’s relentless defensive pressure and Syracuse’s offensive inefficiency proved decisive. The Orange turned the ball over 17 times compared to just seven for the Eagles, leading to a 22-8 advantage for Boston College in points off turnovers. The Eagles also recorded 11 steals to Syracuse’s four.

Syracuse’s offensive rating of 90.7 points per 100 possessions paled in comparison to Boston College’s 108.3, underscoring a disjointed performance. The Orange managed only four assists on 26 made field goals.

Nate Kingz led Syracuse with 27 points, while Donnie Freeman posted a double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds. For Boston College, Payne added six assists to his 26 points. Jayden Hastings was a force inside for the Eagles, contributing 10 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks, anchoring a defense that blocked five shots.

With the loss, Syracuse falls to 11-6 overall. Boston College improves to 8-10. The Eagles’ victory defied the pregame analytics, as Syracuse had been projected with a 69.7% probability to win according to Interstat’s ELO system. The combined score of 154 points sailed over the pregame over/under line of 135.5.

Syracuse will look to rebound when it hosts Virginia Tech on Wednesday. Boston College continues its homestand against Pittsburgh the same night.