Kyle III’s grit and Kingz’s 27 points power Syracuse past Cal in 2OT marathon

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — In a wild affair featuring 28 lead changes, 14 ties and two power outages, Syracuse outlasted California 107-100 in double overtime Wednesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome.

J.J. Starling jumping
J.J. Starling finishes a contested layup. Photo Credits: Leah Masi

“I was really proud of the way these guys just kept going,” SU head coach Adrian Autry said, “because we could’ve folded and they didn’t.”

Autry particularly praised senior William Kyle III’s effort.

“I thought Will Kyle was a man amongst boys today,” Autry said. “He gave us 16 rebounds, 15 points and he had that will that we were not going to lose that game.”

William Kyle III on the floor
Wiliam Kyle III grimaces in pain as his legs begin to cramp up in the second overtime. Photo Credits: Leah Masi

Kyle logged a season-high 40 minutes to go with his fourth double-double of the season. However, the workload took its toll, as leg cramps forced the forward to leave the game with 31.6 seconds left in the second overtime. 

“That was actually the first time I’ve ever cramped up in a game,” Kyle III said. “I was running, and both my calves just started getting really tight.”

Nate Kingz shooting a free throw
Nate Kingz sinks a free throw for one of his game-high 27 points. Photo Credits: Leah Masi

Autry also commended Nate Kingz on a standout performance. The redshirt senior dropped a game-high 27 points, eclipsing the 20-point mark for the second time in the last four games.

The Orange snapped a two-game losing streak with the victory and improve to 14-11 (5-7 ACC). Next up for Syracuse is another home game against SMU on Saturday. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. inside the JMA Wireless Dome.