The Syracuse Orange (13-6, 2-4) will look to win their second game after losing four in a row as they return to the Dome to take on the Boston College Eagles (13-7, 3-4) on Wednesday, January 24th. This will be the 72nd time that the two teams will have met, with the Orange looking to claim its 47th win over the Eagles.
Syracuse’s double overtime loss to Florida State University two weeks ago demonstrated the team’s lack of depth. It was during the second OT that the Seminoles were able to pull away and secure the win as Syracuse played without, Frank Howard, Matthew Moyer and Paschal Chukwu who had all fouled out. Without their starters, the Orange did not have enough steam to finish, marking the team’s fourth straight loss.
As the Orange made their way home last week against the Pittsburgh Panthers, Howard led the team to victory with his 18 points, four assists, five steals and career-high seven rebounds. While Syracuse struggled offensively, two other starters, Oshae Brissett and Tyus Battle, scored double digits as well, and all three combined for 43 out of Syracuse’s 59 points in their 59-45 win.
The BC Eagles are coming off of a 77-69 loss to Louisville on Sunday, January 21st, snapping their two-game win streak. BC stars Jerome Robinson, Ky Bowman, Nik Popovic and Jordan Chatman combined for 59 of the team’s 69 points. Robinson ranks third in the ACC with 18.2 points per game, just behind the Orange’s own Battle with 19.8 ppg and Duke’s Marvin Bagley III 21.9 ppg.
Popovic’s 6’11” frame could be a challenge for Chukwu, the tallest player in Syracuse program history, who has struggled throughout the season to grab rebounds despite his 7’2’’ length. This young team has allowed their opponents to take so many second chance shots and must find a way to keep BC off the boards. Although Chukwu has struggled to box out, he has had no problem with blocks, ranking second in the ACC with 3.1 blocks per game.
Syracuse versus BC starts at 7:00pm. Countdown to tip-off begins at 6:30pm on WAER, 88.3 FM.
While Syracuse has had time to decompress and regroup since their last game, BC is fresh off of a loss and is looking to pick up a road win. The Orange are 11-2 at home while the Eagles are 1-5 away on the road. However, with the way both teams have been playing, Wednesday’s game could be anyone’s to take and will provide a lot of momentum for either team as they enter into the final third of the season.
If Chukwu and the rest of the Syracuse defense can play tight on Robinson as well as prevent second chance shots, and Battle, Howard and Brissett continue to play well offensively, then there is a strong chance the Orange will rack up another ACC win on Wednesday.