Top-Ranked Orange Visits NC State Saturday

Syracuse vs. North Carolina State
Game Details	Saturday, Dec. 17 \| Raleigh, N.C. \| 6:30 p.m. RBC Center
Game Coverage	TV: ESPN2 \| Radio: WTKW 99.5 FM Orange All Access: Audio Twitter: @suorangeempire
Syracuse Links	Notes \| News \| Roster \| Schedule
North Carolina State Links	Notes \| News \| Roster \| Schedule

RALEIGH, N.C. – Syracuse (10-0) takes the court for the first time as the No. 1-ranked team in the nation when it travels to Raleigh, N.C. to face North Carolina State (6-3) on Saturday, Dec. 17. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m.

The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2. Fans can also follow all the action on the Syracuse IMG Radio Network and its flagship TK99 (99.5 FM). The audio stream of the broadcast will be available on Orange All Access on SUathletics.com. Subscriptions to Orange All Access are available at daily, monthly and yearly rates.

ALUMNI CLUBS PLAN GATHERING
The Raleigh and Charlotte Syracuse Alumni Clubs are sponsoring a pregame gathering at the Backyard Bistro located at 1325 Hurricane Alley Way. The event starts at 4:30 p.m. Alumni are invited to stop by before heading to the game.

WAITERS SPARKS ORANGE OFF THE BENCH
Sophomore Dion Waiters has been a force on both ends of the court for Syracuse this season. Waiters ranks second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.9 points per game. He also leads the squad with 24 steals and is tied for second in assists with 31. Waiters enjoyed one of his most productive games in the Orange's victory against George Washington. He was 8-for-11 from the field and 3-for-3 from the free throw line for a career-high 19 points. He also led the team with a career-best four steals to go along with five rebounds and four assists.

10 AND COUNTING
Syracuse has opened the season with 10 straight wins for the third consecutive year. The Orange started last season by winning its first 18 games, which marked the second-best start in school history. SU was one win away from equaling the program's best start of 19-0 in 1999-2000.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ORANGE
A balanced scoring attack led by sophomore Dion Waiters helped Syracuse to an 85-50 victory against George Washington on Dec. 10 in the Carrier Dome. Waiters was one of 12 players to record a point against the Colonials, finishing with a career-high 19 points.

The Orange took an early lead when it opened the game with seven consecutive points. A lay up from #C.J. Fair# put Syracuse ahead 23-12, and the Orange played with a double-digit lead for the remainder of the half. SU took a 45-25 advantage into the locker room at halftime.

With Syracuse leading 50-35 with 16:38 to play, The Orange broke the game open with a 19-3 run during a span of eight minutes to take a 69-38 lead. SU took advantage of 18 George Washington turnovers, which resulted in 34 points for the Orange. Syracuse also was dominant inside, producing a 52-30 advantage in points in the paint on its way to its 10th consecutive victory.

Freshman Michael Carter-Williams enjoyed the most productive game of his young career, finishing with five points and eight assists.

SCOUTING THE WOLFPACK
North Carolina State enters Saturday's contest with a 6-3 record. The Wolf Pack snapped a two-game losing streak with a 65-60 victory against North Carolina Central on Sunday.

CJ Leslie leads a balanced scoring attack as five players are averaging double figures in scoring. Leslie leads the way with 12.8 points per game, while Scott Wood is right behind, contributing 12.5 points per contest. The group also includes Lorenzo Brown (12.3 ppg), Richard Howell (12.0) and DeShawn Painter (11.9 ppg). Howell's 8.3 rebounds per game ranks first on the squad, while Brown leads the team in assists (53) and steals (25).

Mark Gottfried is in his first season at the helm of the North Carolina State program. He spent two seasons as a television analyst after serving as head coach at Alabama for 10 seasons. He guided the Crimson Tide to a record of 210-132 and five NCAA Tournament appearances.

THE SERIES
Syracuse leads the all-time series with North Carolina State, 3-1. The Orange won the first two meetings between the two schools before the Wolf Pack defeated SU, 82-68, in 2001. Last season, Syracuse defeated North Carolina State, 56-59, in the Carrier Dome. Scoop Jardine lead the Orange with 23 points and six assists in that contest.

UP NEXT…
Syracuse returns to the Carrier Dome on Tuesday, Dec. 20 when its hosts Bucknell at 7 p.m.

Syracuse University Athletics

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