The undefeated start to the season is over.

No. 22 Syracuse (8-1) surrendered a 12-point lead in the last 12 minutes and dropped its first game of the year to No. 25 Iowa (9-1) on Thursday night in Iowa City. The game was part of the Big Ten-Atlantic Coast Conference Challenge.

SU sophomore Brittney Sykes finished with 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting with 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season, but it wasn’t enough to avert the collapse.

Iowa’s Melissa Dixon tallied all 27 of her points in the second half by shooting 7-of-9 from 3-point range. Center Bethany Doolittle scored 17 points in the first half and finished with 25.

“Both teams really competed at a high level,” Syracuse head coach Quentin Hillsman said in a postgame interview with Orange All-Access. “We got to give Iowa a lot of credit for coming out in the second half and really playing a tough offensive game. They got into our gaps, spread us out, and made some shots.”

In the first half, SU pulled ahead by as many as 14 points. By halftime, Sykes and point guard Rachel Coffey had racked up 16 points collectively and sophomore Brianna Butler had connected on three 3-pointers.

SU guard Phylesha Bullard drained a jumper to push the score to 68-56 with 11:35 remaining. But Dixon answered with a 3 at the other end, and the comeback was on.

“We had a couple major, major breakdowns,” Hillsman said.

After Butler hit a 3 – her only make out of eight second-half field goal attempts – Dixon drilled another triple to bring the Hawkeyes within two. Iowa completed the turnaround with a Kali Peschel layup for a 72-71 lead, but Sykes responded with a layup to put the Orange back on top.

Then another Dixon 3 took the lead right back. Even when Hillsman abandoned the 2-3 zone for man-to-man defense, the Orange couldn’t stop Dixon.

“Unbelievable second half,” Hillsman said. “She did an awesome job in the second half of just making shots. I give her a lot of credit.”

Syracuse fought right back, though, and cut Iowa’s lead to three points on three occasions in the final 90 seconds. Dixon, however, wrapped up the Hawkeyes’ comeback win with a 3 and four free throws in the last minute and a half.

“Our kids played hard,” Hillsman said. “They really competed at a high level in a great basketball environment, and our young kids really came out and gave it all they had … We played tough on the road but a loss is a loss and we got to go in the gym and get better.”