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Syracuse opened Atlantic Coast Conference play with a signature 86-81 victory over then-No. 13 Notre Dame. It was the biggest win of the Felisha Legette-Jack era so far. The victory propelled the Orange into the AP Top 25 for the first time under Legette-Jack.

SU had a chance to further prove they belonged when it faced North Carolina four days later — a team that spent the entire season ranked before the Orange replaced UNC.

What ensued was a disastrous showing in which Syracuse was clearly outmatched. Seven straight points helped SU trail by just two at half but a six-point third quarter allowed UNC’s lead to grow to 21. A triple-double from Alyssa Ustby (16 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists) — the first in North Carolina history — helped defeat the Orange 75-51. The loss was SU’s largest defeat since a 25-point defeat to North Carolina State in the first round of the ACC tournament last season.

Next, SU returns to the JMA Wireless Dome to take on Boston College. The Eagles are coming off a 70-64 win over Miami on Thursday after falling to Duke on Dec. 31.

Here’s everything to know about Boston College (9-6, 1-1 ACC) before it takes on No. 25 Syracuse (11-2, 1-1 ACC) Sunday:

All-time series

Syracuse leads 19-11.

Last time they played

After two straight losses, first to Louisville and then No. 13 Virginia Tech, Syracuse defeated Boston College 79-72 on Feb. 5, 2023. Syracuse used a strong first half to get by Boston College. The Orange scored 24 points in the first quarter to lead by seven, before extending it to 15 at the half. Boston College outscored SU in the second half, but the late surge wasn’t enough as the Orange held on for the win.

Dyaisha Fair and Georgia Woolley led the way, combining for 44 points (Fair 24, Woolley 20). Dariauna Lewis also chipped in with 15 points and nine rebounds.

The Eagles report

Similar to last season, Boston College is having an up-and-down season so far. In 2022-23, the Eagles finished 16-17 overall, going just 5-13 in the ACC. This year has been similar for BC. It went through a three-game losing streak against Marquette, Wisconsin and Kentucky before winning five straight to finish conference play. Like Syracuse, BC split its first two ACC games but didn’t face as tough of opponents as the Orange.

The Eagles are led by their potent offense, scoring 77.4 points per game which ranks 40th in the country, according to HerHoopStats. BC has four players in double figures, led by Andrea Daley, who scores 16.3 points per game. The Eagles shoot just under 46% from the field, which is 38th in the country.

When Boston College misses, it does a good job of attacking the offense glass, pulling in 14.4 offensive rebounds per game. The Eagles’ 38% offensive rebounding rate is 34th in the country.

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How Syracuse beats Boston College

For Syracuse, it needs to get Fair and Wooley back on track after a rough outing against the Tar Heels. Fair finished with 17 points on just 7-for-22 shooting while Woolley went 1-for-10 for only three points.

Woolley and Fair are clearly Syracuse’s best scoring options so they’ll have to be in attack mode against Boston College. Most importantly, the duo and the rest of Syracuse’s guards will have to attack the basket. Against UNC, the Orange attempted a season-high 30 3-pointers. “That’s not who we are,” Legette-Jack said postgame. “We’re not doing that again.”

Boston College’s opponents shoot 48.5% on 2-pointers which is 269th in the country, according to HerHoopStats. Instead of needlessly firing away from beyond the arc, the Orange will need to drive the paint and get easier looks inside.

Stat to know: 26.7%

Boston College forces a turnover on 26.7% of its opponents’ possessions, which is the fifth-best rate in the country, per HerHoopStats. Considering the Orange turned the ball over a season-high 28 times against Notre Dame, this could cause trouble for SU. Against North Carolina, Syracuse coughed it up 15 times.

The Eagles have six players with at least 18 steals this season. BC averages 12.8 steals as a team, which is eighth in the country, according to HerHoopStats, and only Notre Dame has more in the ACC. BC is aggressive in the passing lanes and will try to create chaos.

Player to watch: Andrea Daley, guard, No. 21

Daley is having a breakout season with Boston College, leading the Eagles in scoring, nearly doubling her scoring from last season. She leads BC with 16.3 points per game and field goal percentage (56.4%), which also ranks third in the ACC. Daley finished with a career-high 24 points and nine rebounds in just 27 minutes on Nov. 24 as Boston College fell to Marquette 73-65.

The guards’ size will provide the Orange with some problems in the backcourt, something Syracuse struggled with against UNC. Daley also pulls in just over five rebounds per game, which ranks third on the Eagles.

Published on January 6, 2024 at 2:39 pm

Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22