Syracuse looks to keep its win streak alive against Northeastern Tuesday night in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse (5-2) enters the matchup on a two-game win streak after an upset win over then-No. 16 Ohio State and subsequently Cornell. Meanwhile, the Huskies (4-4) enter the matchup on a two-game win streak and sit at .500 after a tough stretch of competition early in the season.

Here’s what to know about the Syracuse-Northeastern matchup ahead of Tuesday night.

All-time series: Syracuse leads, 6-0

Last time they played: Syracuse downs Northeastern, 95-74, on Dec. 30, 2007

Syracuse was unable to pull away from Northeastern in the first half, entering the break up 44-42. However, a quick 8-0 run to open the second half led to an eventual blowout for the Orange, beating the Huskies by 21.

SU shot a 57-percent clip from the field and finished with six players in double figures.

Then-sophomore Paul Harris powered the Orange offense and finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds in the win. Freshman Scoop Jardine added 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting in just his third career start, too. The Orange dominated on the inside, outscoring the Huskies 54-28 in the paint.

Both SU head coach Jim Boeheim and Northeastern head coach Bill Coen led their respective clubs in that matchup over a decade ago.

The Northeastern report:

The preseason favorites in the Colonial Athletic Association, Northeastern had a shaky start to the season, hovering at .500 entering the Tuesday matchup. The leader of the team and second-leading scorer, Vasa Pusica, is out for 4-6 weeks with a left wrist injury, leaving the Huskies shorthanded.

Overall, the Northeastern offense is its strong suit. The Huskies rank 10th in the country in effective field-goal percentage and 26th in adjusted offensive efficiency, per Kenpom.com.

That starts with star Jordan Roland, who averages 15.9 points per game.

“With us shooting the ball very well,” Roland said, “hopefully we’ll shoot the ball well that game and we’ll match up well against the zone.”

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Northeastern enters Tuesday with a nine-man rotation, with each player averaging at least 11-plus minutes per game.

While there’s been success on the offensive front, Northeastern has suffered multiple injuries that’s held the team back. Shawn Occeus and Maxime Boursiquot have yet to play and Pusica is out for the foreseeable future.

“We’re in a constant state of readjustment in the early part of the season,” Northeastern head coach Bill Coen said, “and still trying to find our own identity with various different lineups and roles.”

Defensively, Northeastern has struggled mightily, ranking 327th in effective field goal percentage, 323rd in defensive 2-point field-goal percentage and 289th in defensive 3-point percentage.

The Huskies have bounced back from a three-game losing streak earlier in the season, entering the matchup having downed Bucknell and Eastern Michigan by 18 and 14 points, respectively.

How Syracuse beats Northeastern:

The biggest trouble Syracuse has run into early this season has been shooting the ball at a high percentage. But Tuesday is a perfect opportunity to bounce back, against Northeastern’s weak defense.

Syracuse needs to attack the paint more often, where Northeastern struggles most, and crash the boards hard — the Huskies allow the opposition offensive rebounds 26 percent of the time, per Kenpom.

Defensively, Syracuse will have to close out the Huskies shooters. Northeastern can shoot the ball, and well. The 2-3 zone could prove costly and keep the game close as the game progresses.

Stat to know: 41.1 — Northeastern shoots the 3 at a 41.1 percentage, which ranks 19th in the country, per Kenpom.

KenPom odds: Syracuse has an 83 percent chance to win, by a projected score of 75-64.

Player to watch: Jordan Roland, G, No. 12

In Roland’s return to his hometown of Syracuse, the junior transfer has been Northeastern’s best offensive player. Roland leads the Huskies in scoring and has been shooting the ball extremely well — 54 percent from the field and 51 percent from 3. Guard play has caused problems for SU throughout the season and neutralizing Roland would give the Orange a huge boost on Tuesday night.

Published on December 3, 2018 at 11:27 pm

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