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The end of Syracuse’s nonconference slate was smooth. Despite being destroyed by then-No. 10 Notre Dame in its Atlantic Coast Conference opener, SU skated by Binghamton and Dartmouth to return to .500.

Against the Bearcats on Dec. 18, the Orange tied their season-high with eight 3s. Their defense also forced 23 turnovers, leading to a comfortable 87-60 victory.

Three days later, SU demolished Dartmouth 87-52. It built a 41-24 halftime lead and never trailed. Syracuse shot 54.3% and scored a whopping 62 points in the paint to come away victorious.

Now, after an 11-day break, the Orange will play their second conference game of the season against No. 13 Georgia Tech Thursday. The Yellow Jackets are 14-0, providing another challenge to start ACC play for SU.

Here’s everything you need to know about Georgia Tech (14-0, 2-0 ACC) before it faces Syracuse (6-6, 0-1 ACC):

All-time series

Georgia Tech leads 6-4.

Last time they played…

On Feb. 8, 2024, then-No. 23 Syracuse narrowly defeated the Yellow Jackets 62-59 in a back-and-forth affair. Despite facing a three-point halftime deficit, the Orange bounced back in the final 20 minutes. Center Izabel Varejão sank a go-ahead layup with two minutes left, and Georgia Tech didn’t score for the rest of the game, handing SU the win.

The Orange were led by Dyaisha Fair’s 17 points, as well as Varejão’s 13 in her first game back after missing two months with a concussion. Syracuse also scored 22 points off 17 giveaways, proving to be pivotal in the tight contest.

The Yellow Jackets report

Last season, Georgia Tech finished a middling 17-16, missing the NCAA Tournament. One of its main issues throughout the campaign was depth. GT’s lineup featured four players averaging double figures, but only one other player scoring over six. The Yellow Jackets were also dreadful from 3, as their 29.4% success rate ranked 231st in the country, per HerHoopStats.

However, it’s a completely different story this year. GT retained its four leading scorers from 2023-24 — Tonie Morgan, Kara Dunn, Kayla Blackshear and Rusne Augustinaite. Dunn (14.8 points per game) and Morgan (11.9 points per game) have continued their production this season, though with an improved supporting cast.

True freshman Dani Carnegie leads the Yellow Jackets with 15.1 points per game, while eight other players, including Dunn and Morgan, average over six points per contest. GT has played efficiently on offense, ranking 20th in points per game (82.9) and 15th in points per play (0.95), according to HerHoopStats.

Georgia Tech’s 3-point shooting largely dictates its offense. It’s attempted the third-most triples in the nation, hitting 34.4% of them. Seven players are shooting over 30% from distance, with Carnegie sinking nearly 40% of her 99 tries.

The Yellow Jackets have started the season 14-0, jumping to 13th in the Week 9 AP Poll. They mark the second ranked matchup to begin SU’s ACC schedule and its third top-15 clash through 13 games.

How Syracuse beats Georgia Tech

Syracuse probably needs to be firing on all cylinders to even contend with the Yellow Jackets. First, SU needs Varejão and Kyra Wood completely healthy, as they’ve been banged up recently. The Orange’s best shooters — Georgia Woolley and Sophie Burrows — also must be on their A-game throughout the night.

SU will also need to get ahead in the rebounding battle. Georgia Tech ranks in the upper echelon in nearly every rebounding statistic, including placing 29th with 42.7 total boards per game. But Syracuse can put up a fight on the glass, as it ranks just outside the top 25 (28th) in average offensive rebounds.

But the most important aspect of this game is SU’s defense. Of GT’s typical starting lineup, only Dunn and Morgan average double-digit points. If Syracuse can press the duo heavily and force other players to take shots, the door may be open for a close game.

Stat to know: 27.8

Much of Georgia Tech’s offense runs through its 3-point shooting. The Yellow Jackets attempt the 18th-most triples in the country with 27.8 per game. Though they’ve only drained 134 of their 389 tries (34.4%), the sheer volume of shots from distance highlights their clear offensive identity.

With the Orange’s poor 3-point defense this season, it’s highly possible Georgia Tech will attack them from deep throughout the contest. Similar situations played out against Saint Joseph’s and Creighton earlier this season when Syracuse allowed both teams to shoot over 50% from beyond the arc.

Player to watch: Kara Dunn, guard, No. 25

As a sophomore last season, Dunn was GT’s second-leading scorer, averaging 15.5 points per game, only behind Morgan. Across her breakout campaign, Dunn also shot 44.6% from the field and averaged 4.6 boards.

Though the Dallas, Georgia, native’s scoring production has dipped to 14.8 points per contest this season, it’s due to the Yellow Jackets’ increased depth. Still, Dunn has posted career-highs in rebounds (6.2), field goal percentage (54.2%) and 3-point percentage (36.2%) while notching 11 double-digit performances.

Published on January 1, 2025 at 7:27 pm

Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu | @ Noahnuss99