Syracuse men’s basketball (6-3, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) looks to extend its winning streak when it hosts Hofstra (7-4, 0-0 Coastal Athletic Association) on Saturday in the JMA Wireless Dome.
The Orange enter the matchup fresh off Thursday night’s 71-63 win over Saint Joseph’s - a game that stayed tight until the final minutes.
“Don’t have too much time to think about this one as we have to get prepared for a Hofstra team that’s playing extremely well,” Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry said. “So we’ve got to prepare for that.”
Just over a week ago, SU earned its first top-15 win in nearly two years with a 62-60 upset over then-No. 13 Tennessee. But Autry’s focus is now fully on the Pride, who come in winners of two straight, including an 80-73 victory over ACC foe Pitt last Sunday.
The backbone of Syracuse’s start has been its defense. The Orange allow fewer than 65 points per game, a top-20 mark nationally. Still, Autry pointed to lapses against Saint Joseph’s despite holding the Hawks to 63.
“Us not getting to the level five, too many dips - I thought that caused a lot of inconsistency with our defensive effort,” Autry said. “At the end of the game, we couldn’t get the stops we needed to make.”
Syracuse limited the Hawks to under 36% shooting from the field and below 20% from beyond the arc, yet never led by more than six until the final five minutes. Hofstra brings a similarly strong defensive profile, allowing 66 points per game - top 50 nationally - and holding opponents to 60 or fewer in four of its last six contests.
One issue that kept the Saint Joseph’s game close was Syracuse’s continued struggle at the free-throw line. SU shot under 54% on Thursday and missed 13 attempts. The Orange now sit just above 55% for the season, the worst mark in the country.
“We’ll get better,” Autry said. “These guys shoot the ball a lot better than we’re doing right now, even from the three-point range. We’ll get better with that.”
Sophomore forward Donnie Freeman - SU’s leading scorer at nearly 18 points per game and its best free-throw shooter at 78% - remains a game-time decision after missing five straight contests.
Saturday also marks the third time this season Syracuse will play with fewer than two days of rest. The Orange are 0-2 in such situations, with both losses coming in the Player Era Tournament in Las Vegas.
Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Dome. WAER’s coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff.