Orange and Mustangs Clash in Saturday Showdown

Game Details: Saturday, February 14, Syracuse, N.Y., 2:00 p.m.
Live Stream: The CW
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Syracuse (14-11, 5-7 ACC) hosts SMU (17-7, 6-5 ACC) at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday afternoon, riding the momentum of a double-overtime victory on Wednesday night.

Ride the Momentum
The Orange picked up a win in double overtime earlier this week, taking down California, 107-100. Syracuse's 107 points was the most in a single game since the Orange posted 112 against Indiana in an overtime affair on November 30, 2021.

The effort saw six players score in double figures and two record double-doubles. Senior William Kyle III grabbed a career-high 16 boards along with 15 points to give him his team-high fourth double-double of the season. Junior Naithan George logged 14 points and dished out 10 assists to join Kyle III in posting a double-double.

Senior Nate Kingz scored 27 points to pace the offense while his classmate, J.J. Starling, was close behind with 21 points, tying his season high. Sophomore Donnie Freeman (16) and freshman Sadiq White Jr. (10) also eclipsed double digit scoring.

The Orange dominated the paint, outscoring the Golden Bears, 62-46, down low, while shooting 38-of-71 (.535) from the field.

Protect the Dome
The Orange play their 16th game at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday, owning an 11-4 record on their home floor. Syracuse has won back-to-back contests in the Dome, earning a 14-point win over Notre Dame a couple of weeks ago before the victory over California.

Inside the JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse is averaging 79.3 points per game while holding opponents to just 68.8. Notably, the defense racks up 7.2 blocks per contest on its home floor.

Freeman paces the offense in the Dome, averaging 16.4 points per game on 47-of-93 (.505) shooting from the field. Kingz is close behind with 12.7 points per game and has hit a team-best 32 3-pointers at the JMA Wireless Dome.

Kyle III flourishes in front of the home crowd, averaging over three blocks per game to go with 8.4 rebounds and 10.5 points. Three of his four double-doubles have come in the Dome as well.

Scouting SMU
SMU travels to Syracuse with a 17-7 overall record and a 6-5 mark in ACC play. The Mustangs are riding back-to-back wins against Pittsburgh and Notre Dame.

The Mustangs set the tone for their conference slate early, opening ACC play with a 97-83 victory over North Carolina.

SMU brings one of the nation's top offenses to the Dome, averaging 86.5 points per game, ranking second in the ACC and 17th nationally. The Mustangs connect at a high clip, shooting .497 from the field for the third-best mark in the league. They're equally dangerous from deep, shooting .379 from 3-point range, second in the conference.

Senior Boopie Miller leads the charge, averaging 19.2 points per game. Miller is coming off consecutive 20-point performances, shooting a combined 14-of-24 (.583) in the two wins. He's hit 134-of-284 (.472) from the field this season, including 43-of-105 (.410) from beyond the arc. Miller was instrumental in the Mustangs' win over North Carolina, pouring in 27 points on just three misses.

The Mustangs boast five players averaging double figures in scoring. Senior Jaron Pierre Jr. trails Miller at 17.7 points per game, with a season-high 35 points against Texas A&M. B.J. Edwards adds 13.3 points while leading the ACC with 2.5 steals per game. Senior forward Corey Washington and Samet Yigitoglu round out the group at 11.3 and 10.7 points, respectively. Yigitoglu also provides rim protection, averaging 1.5 blocks per game to rank fifth in the conference.

SMU is led by head coach Andy Enfield, who is in his second season with the Mustangs. In his first year, he led SMU to a 24-11 record and a No. 1 seed in the NIT. Prior to SMU, Enfield spent time at USC and Florida Gulf Coast. He made history at Florida Gulf Coast, leading the Eagles to the 2013 NCAA Tournament as a 15 seed and became the first 15-seed to make the Sweet 16. At USC, he compiled a 220-147 record and guided the Trojans to five NCAA Tournament appearances in eight seasons, including an Elite Eight run in 2021.

Series History
Syracuse and SMU have met twice before, with the Mustangs winning both contests. This will be the Mustangs' first trip to the JMA Wireless Dome.

Syracuse Tickets
Season and individual tickets are available at cuse.com/feature/basketball-tickets

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Players Mentioned

Donnie Freeman

Naithan George

Nate Kingz

William Kyle III

J.J. Starling

Sadiq White Jr.

Syracuse University Athletics