#20 'Cuse Opens ACC Play at NC State

No. 20/24 Syracuse (11-2) at rv/rv NC State (13-1)
Game Details	Sunday, Jan. 5 \| 2 p.m. ET \| Raleigh, N.C. Reynolds Coliseum (8,560)
Game Coverage	Watch: ESPN3 \| Watch ESPN App Radio: ESPN 97.7/100.1 FM & 1200 AM \| Orange All-Access Live Stats: GameTracker Twitter: @CuseWBB \| @cuse
Syracuse Links	Roster \| Schedule \| Stats \| Game Notes
NC State Links	Roster \| Schedule \| Stats \| Game Notes

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A new year and a new era officially begin for No. 20/24 Syracuse women's basketball (11-2) on Sunday when it begins 2014 by playing its first ACC game at NC State in a 2 p.m. tip-off at Reynolds Coliseum on ESPN3.

GAME COVERAGE
• The game can be watched online at ESPN3.com or on the Watch ESPN app.
• All the Orange's games can be heard live on SU's flagship station, ESPN 97.7/100.7 FM and 1200 AM, and on Orange All-Access at SUAthletics.com with Brian Higgins '04 on the call. Free live stats are also available at SUathletics.com.
• As always, follow @CuseWBB on Twitter for live in-game updates.

HOT START TO '13-14
• This is the ninth time in program history Syracuse has been 11-2 or better after 13 games and the sixth time in the last seven years under head coach Quentin Hillsman. The mark is bettered only by the starts of 12-1 in 1978-79, 2007-08, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2012-13.
• The Orange has outscored its opponents by an average of 22.5 points, scoring 81.9 points per game while allowing just 59.4.

AN ORANGE WIN WOULD...
• ...be its first ACC victory. It was 197-298 in 31 seasons in the BIG EAST.
• ...make Syracuse 12-2 or better after 14 games for the seventh time in program history and fifth time in the last seven seasons under Quentin Hillsman.
• ...make it 1-2 all-time vs. the Wolfpack and 1-0 at Reynolds Coliseum.
• ....make SU 4-2 vs. teams that are ranked or receiving votes this season, including 3-2 away from home.
• ...make SU 14-18 in conference openers.

HOMECOMING FOR DAYS

• Sunday's game will be a homecoming for the 6-4 freshman post duo of twin sisters Bria and Briana Day. The Raleigh, N.C. natives led Millbrook High School to a pair of North Carolina 4A State Championships and three Eastern Regional Championships.

• Briana Day was the No. 57 recruit overall in the 2013 class and 15th forward by ESPN Hoopgurlz. She has played all 13 games as Leary's backup at center, averaging 5.7 points and 6.0 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per contest.

• Briana has two double-doubles: vs. Maine on Nov. 24 (13 points, 12 rebounds) and vs. Saint Joseph's on Dec. 21 (10 points, 11 rebounds).

• Bria Day was ranked No. 36 among forwards in the 2013 class. She has played 9.4 minutes per game.

SERIES HISTORY
• Syracuse is 0-2 all-time against NC State with the most recent meeting being a 104-69 Wolfpack win on Nov. 28, 1996 at the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico.
• The first meeting was the previous season, on Dec. 29, 1995, a 79-70 Wolfpack victory in the Big Four Classic in Greensboro, N.C.

SCOUTING THE WOLFPACK
•    NC State is off to a 13-1 start to the season and is receiving votes in both major polls. It is receiving votes in both the AP and coaches polls. RealTimeRPI.com ranks the Wolfpack 31st, while the Sagarin/CBN ratings have it 26th.
•    NC State has won seven in a row following its lone loss of the season vs. Wright State in the Gulf Coast Showcase on Nov. 29, 99-90.
•    NC State is coming off a 2-0 trip to the San Diego Surf n Slam tournament, beating Kansas State (77-60) and San Diego State (84-67).
•    The most impressive win on the Wolfpack's resume is a 89-79 win vs. No. 12 LSU on Dec. 20 at Reynolds Coliseum.
•    The Wolfpack has one of the most efficient offenses in the country, shooting 48 percent overall, ninth in the NCAA., while ranking 10th in assists per game (19.2).
•    Senior 6-5 center Markeisha Gatling is NC State's leading scorer (16.1 ppg) and rebounder (5.6 rpg). She leads the nation with a .731 field goal percentage.
•    After 15 seasons as head coach at Tennessee Chattanooga, Moore takes over a team that went 17-17 last season, including 7-11 in the ACC.

IN THE POLLS
• Syracuse is ranked No. 20 for the second week in a row in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, the highest ranking in program history, surpassing the previous high of 21st on Feb. 11, 2008 and Feb 18, 2013.
• In the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, SU is ranked No. 24. It is the third week it has been ranked by the coaches.
• The Orange debuted in the AP poll on Dec. 2 at No. 22 and has been ranked for four-straight weeks.
• SU was ranked No. 22 in both the final AP and USA TODAY Coaches polls last season. It was ranked for seven-straight weeks in the AP poll and 10-straight weeks in the coaches poll, both program records.

LAST TIME OUT
• No. 24 Arizona State overcame a 25-point effort by Brianna Butler to defeat No. 20 Syracuse, 63-60, in the Orange's final non-conference game of the season on Monday at Wells Fargo Arena.
• A tight back-and-forth affair, the game featured 10 lead changes and four ties with neither leading by more than four points for the entire second half.
• Butler scored a game-high 25 points, 20 of which came in the first half, on 10-of-20 shooting, including 3-of-8 from 3-point range. Sykes added 13 points, while freshman Briana Day contributed seven points and 12 rebounds.
• Arizona State was led by double-doubles from Kelsey Moos (15 points, 12 rebounds) and Joy Burke (14 points, 10 rebounds).

SYKES WINS ANOTHER AT BUZZER
• Brittney Sykes' buzzer-beater layup lifted Syracuse past Saint Joseph's (9-2) in a thrilling 64-62 victory on Dec. 21 at the Carrier Dome.
• The Orange played from behind for most of the game, coming back from a 14-point deficit in the middle of the first half and gaining its first lead of the second half with 3:30 remaining in the game off a Rachel Coffey 3-pointer. Sykes took over from there, scoring six of her 20 points in the final 2:37 to defeat the Hawks.
• Sykes also provided SU's last buzzer-beating win when her steal and half-court shot beat St. John's on Jan. 23.

UP NEXT
• The Orange returns home to host its first-ever ACC game on Thursday when No. 3 Duke comes to the Carrier Dome for a 7 p.m. tip-off. Adult tickets are just $10 and can be purchased online, at the Carrier Dome Box Office (gate B), or by calling 1-888-DOMETIX. Parking is free in Stadium West lots at women's basketball games.

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