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Syracuse avoided dropping its second straight game with an improbable come-from-behind win over Notre Dame. SU trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half but stormed back for a 77-69 victory. J.J. Starling led the way with 21 points, scoring 19 points after halftime. Starling’s performance helped cancel out Markus Burton’s game-high 28 points, 20 of which came during the first 12 minutes.
SU’s second-half defense, especially on Burton, helped spearhead the comeback. The Fighting Irish shot 8-of-25 from the field in the second half and missed all five of their 3-pointers. As a result, the Orange outscored Notre Dame 44-27 in the second half.
Syracuse looks to make it two straight when it heads south to face Clemson Wednesday. SU has only won one game on the road against the Tigers, in 2017 when Tyus Battle hit a buzzer-beater.
Here’s everything to know about Clemson (13-4, 5-1 Atlantic Coast) before it takes on Syracuse (9-9, 3-4 Atlantic Coast):
All-time series
Clemson leads 9-6.
Last time they played …
The last meeting between these two had a lot of pregame hype due to facing Joe Girard III, who played four seasons with Syracuse. Girard scored 21 points and hit four 3-pointers, as Clemson defeated Syracuse 90-75. The Orange entered the game on a four-game winning streak, desperately needing to improve a frail NCAA Tournament resume, but were outclassed by the Tigers.
Syracuse allowed Clemson to shoot 56% from the field and trailed by 12 at halftime. SU then let up 48 points in the second half, preventing any chance of a comeback.
KenPom Odds
Syracuse has a 9% chance of winning, with a projected score of 79-64.
The Tigers Report
Clemson had its most successful season in program history last season, winning 24 games and making the Elite 8. The Tigers have continued their success into this year, holding the second-best record in the ACC. Their only blemish in conference play came on Jan. 7 against Louisville. Since then, they’ve won three straight, including an overtime road win over Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Clemson goes as far as Chase Hunter will take them. The point guard is in his sixth year of college basketball and is its leading scorer with 17.6 points per game. Ian Schieffelin is tough to handle in the front court, while Boston College transfer Jaeden Zackery provides a boost on the perimeter, knocking down 35% of his 3s.
The Tigers are a balanced team on both sides of the ball. Their 117.4 offensive rating is the 28th-best in the country, according to KenPom, and their 97.2 defensive rating ranks 35th.
Dakota Dorsey | Design Editor
How Syracuse beats Clemson
Syracuse needs to figure out how to get out to better starts. Too often this season, it’s had to play from behind for most of the game due to lackluster opening minutes. The Orange were in an 11-0 hole against Notre Dame within the first five minutes. On the road in a hostile atmosphere, SU can’t afford to fall behind in the manner it has this season.
It also needs to shoot free throws better. Syracuse was 21-of-34 from the free-throw line against Notre Dame, bringing its percentage for the season down to 68.9%. That’s the 276th-worst mark in the country. If Syracuse wants to pull off an improbable win against Clemson, it can’t leave those points on the board.
Stat to know: 38.9%
Clemson is an elite 3-point shooting team, knocking down 38.9% of its attempts from deep. That mark leads the ACC and is the 13th-best in the country. Hunter leads the way, shooting an ACC-best 45.5%. He has canned 50 3s this season. The Tigers’ threats from the perimeter come from all over. They have eight players with at least 10 3-pointers this year.
Syracuse’s struggles from beyond the arc are well-documented this season. The Orange are one of two teams in the ACC to shoot below 30% from 3, hitting 29.6% of their attempts. SU isn’t the best at defending 3s either, as opponents are shooting 33.8%. Per KenPom, that ranks 199th in the country.
Player to watch: Ian Schieffelin, center, No. 4
With PJ Hall graduated, Schieffelin has taken over as Clemson’s main frontcourt threat. Schieffelin has steadily improved over his four seasons with the Tigers, winning the ACC Most Improved Player of the Year last year. He’s Clemson’s second-leading scorer with 13 points per game and its leading rebounder, corralling 10.1 per game, the second-highest mark in the ACC.
Schieffelin’s been dealing with back spasms the past few weeks but has played through them. He scored 15 points in Clemson’s win at Pittsburgh on Saturday, the 14th time he finished in double figures this season.
The post Opponent Preview: Everything to know about Clemson appeared first on The Daily Orange.