Orange, Tar Heels Clash Saturday

Syracuse vs. North Carolina
Game Details	Saturday, Jan. 9 \| Syracuse, N.Y. \| 8 p.m. Carrier Dome
Game Coverage	TV: ESPN \| ESPN3 Radio: Syracuse IMG Network \| Audio \| Stats Twitter: @Cuse \| @Cuse_MBB Instagram: @cusepics \| @cuse_mbb
Syracuse Links	Notes \| News \| Roster \| Schedule
North Carolina Links	Notes \| News \| Roster \| Schedule

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Head coach Jim Boeheim returns to the Syracuse sideline when the Orange hosts No. 6/7 North Carolina on Saturday, Jan. 9 at 8 p.m. Fans are encouraged to arrive early as a crowd of more than 26,000 is expected for the game, which is sponsored by Dunkin Donuts, the official coffee of Syracuse Athletics.

Tickets for Saturday's game be purchased online at Cuse.com, in person at Gate B in the Carrier Dome and by phone at 1-888-DOMETIX. Gates open at 6 p.m. All fans with tickets are encouraged to arrive early for the game to avoid traffic delays and large lines at the Dome entrances and to use the 'Print at Home' option to avoid long lines at the Box Office.

The game will be televised on ESPN and ESPN3. Fans can also listen to the game on the Syracuse IMG Radio Network and its flagship station, TK99 in Syracuse. In addition, live audio will be available on Cuse TV on Cuse.com. Subscriptions to Cuse TV are available at daily, monthly and yearly rates.

TOP FIVE STORYLINES
BOEHEIM RETURNS
Head coach Jim Boeheim will be back on the Syracuse sideline for the first time since the December 2 contest against Wisconsin. He was serving a nine-game NCAA suspension. Assistant coach Mike Hopkins guided the Orange in Coach Boeheim's absence.

HALFTIME GUEST
Fans will hear from new Orange head football coach Dino Babers when he addresses the crowd at halftime of Saturday's game. Babers was named the 30th head football coach at Syracuse on December 5, 2015.

In addition, fans are invited to enjoy a multitude of activities in the backcourt, including the Galaxy Communications Photo Booth, Dunkin' Donuts giveaways and the Cadillac vehicle display. Prior to the game, the 'Hoops for the Stars' program, presented by National Grid Foundation, will honor more than 150 area youth for their improvement in academic performance and attendance.

RICHARDSON CONTINUES TO BE SCORING THREAT
Freshman Malachi Richardson was one rebound away from recording his first career double-double against Clemson. He finished the game with 21 points and a career-high nine rebounds. All five of his field goals were from three-point range and he was 6-for-8 from the free throw line, marking the second consecutive game in which he has scored 20 or more points.

SCOUTING THE TAR HEELS
North Carolina enters Saturday's game on a seven-game winning streak and with a 14-2 overall record. The Tar Heels are 3-0 in ACC play. North Carolina has the second-ranked offense in the ACC (87.8 ppg.) as five players are averaging more than 10 points per game. Brice Johnson leads the way, averaging 16.8 points per game, while Marcus Paige is right behind with a 16.3 per-game average. Johnson also leads the Tar Heels on the boards, pulling down 10.6 rebounds per game, which rank second in the ACC.

THE SERIES
North Carolina holds a slight 5-4 lead in the series with Syracuse. The squads have split the two meetings since the Orange joined the ACC. Syracuse defeated North Carolina, 57-45, in the Carrier Dome in 2013-14, while the Tar Heels won last year's meeting, 93-83, in Chapel Hill.

UP NEXT…
Syracuse's three-game homestand comes to an end on Wednesday, Jan. 13 when it hosts Boston College at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.

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Players Mentioned

Malachi Richardson

Syracuse University Athletics