Syracuse aims for 2nd-straight victory against Northeastern

Syracuse men’s basketball (7-4, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) is in the heart of its five-game mid-major home slate, with Northeastern (4-5, 0-0 Colonial Athletic Association) on tap for Saturday at 4 p.m.

SU was spooked early in its home stretch, never leading St. Joseph’s by more than 10 in its 71-63 triumph on Dec. 11. Although it eeked out a win against Mercyhurst on Wednesday, the ‘Cuse was upset by Hofstra 70-69 last Saturday for its first mid-major defeat in two years.

Despite the excuse being a broken record, the Orange’s largest pitfall is free-throw shooting. They sit bottom-two in the country at an uninspiring 58% clip. Though, in the Orange’s bout with the Lakers, they secured a season-best 75% rate.

“I’ve seen a lot of growth. There’s nothing wrong with our offense,” Autry said. “The place that we have had some issues is the free-throw line. That’s improving.”

Amid the inconsistencies, Syracuse is as battle-tested as can be for a mid-major matchup. Having faced four Quad 1 opponents and dispatching then-No. 13 Tennessee on Dec. 2, the Orange are equipped to cruise through the rest of their non-conference slate.

“We played against four of the top 10 defenses in the country and were able to score enough to keep us right there,” Autry said.

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Syracuse faces a Northeastern squad headlined by eight underclassmen — over half its roster — and head coach Bill Coen in his 20th season at the helm. Though, the Huskies have only made the NCAA Tournament twice in his tenure and were first-round exits both times.

It’s been four years since NU earned the top CAA record, long before its current players arrived, like leading scorer LA Pratt. After transferring from conference foe Elon, the senior rose to a career-high 17 points per game. His 90.9% free-throw clip is better than 10 Syracuse players who’ve attempted a shot from the charity stripe.

The Orange tend to stumble against top guards, notably against the Pride, when junior Cruz Davis delivered 22 points, sinking both his triples.

On the other hand, SU’s clamped down against top frontcourts. Volunteers forward Nate Ament, a top-five recruit in 2025, tallied just 11 for his second-lowest mark through nine contests against the Orange.

Northeastern forward Youri Fritz has reached double figures seven times, including its lone Power 5 matchup against Wake Forest on Nov. 28, which the Huskies lost 86-73. Syracuse could rely on its defensive prowess to shut him down.

“We’re trying to compete for championships,” Autry said. “I’m excited to see what this group can put together. The ingredients are there.”

An ingredient in question is leading scorer Donnie Freeman, who accrued 71 points through four games. He hasn’t played in a month and is still without a timetable, according to Syracuse assistant coach Allen Griffin.

The Orange and Huskies clash on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. WAER’s pregame coverage starts at 3:30 with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff.