Jerami Grant had tied the score with a putback with just over a minute left and was looking to make another impact play.
He did seconds later with a backbreaking steal, fed a streaking Michael Gbinije for the go-ahead layup, and No. 9 Syracuse escaped with a 56-50 victory over St. Francis Brooklyn on Monday night.
Syracuse (4-0) trailed for most of the second half as leading scorer C.J. Fair struggled against the pesky Terriers (2-2), who were seeking their second upset of the young season. But the Orange defense clamped down over the final 4 minutes as Syracuse closed with a 10-0 run for the victory.