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Syracuse continues its six-game homestand by hosting former Big East rival Georgetown on Saturday afternoon. The Orange dominated against Oakland on Tuesday night, extending their winning streak to two following a one-point win at Notre Dame last Saturday. SU sits at 5-4, and is 4-4 in nonconference games.

The Hoyas enter the game off a 4-5 against Siena on Wednesday night, which snapped a two-game losing streak and improved their record to 5-5. Georgetown is struggling again under sixth-year head coach Patrick Ewing after going 6-25 last season and 13-13 the year prior. GU finished last season with 21 straight losses, including a first-round exit against Seton Hall in the Big East Tournament.

Here’s everything to know about Georgetown before Saturday afternoon’s tip-off:

All-Time Meetings

Syracuse leads, 51-44.

Last time they played

Syracuse traveled to Washington, D.C. last December, falling to the Hoyas 79-75 for its fifth loss of the season. The Orange blew a ten-point halftime lead, with Aminu Mohammed’s career-high 23 points helping Georgetown post 45 second-half points. Mohammed, who also had 13 rebounds and a career-best five assists, nailed two free throws with nine seconds to seal the win.

SU got limited production from its bench, but all five starters finished with double-digit points. The percentages weren’t great, though, with the Orange making just 8-of-26 (30.8%) 3-point attempts. Buddy Boeheim led Syracuse with 17 points, and Jesse Edwards converted on six of his seven attempts, but Joe Girard III, Cole Swider and Jimmy Boeheim struggled to a shooting percentage of 34.2%.

“Our offense really hurt us in the second half,” head coach Jim Boeheim said after the game. “The whole second half. We have to score. We’re not stopping people really.”

It was Syracuse’s last game before an unexpected 16-day break due to COVID-19 spreading around the team, which forced the Orange to cancel planned games against Lehigh and Cornell.

The Hoyas report

This year’s Georgetown squad is led by Primo Spears, a sophomore guard who tops the team in points (16.6), assists (4.6) and steals (1.6). Spears transferred from Duquesne after last season, when he started 28 games and notched nearly 13 points per game. Ewing uses Spears at a high rate, leading to the guard ranking 11th nationally in percentage of minutes played, per KenPom. Spears will be key Saturday in helping Georgetown get its offense moving against SU’s 2-3 zone.

Guards Brandon Murray and Jay Heath are also notable contributors, averaging 16 and 14.5 points per game, respectively. The Hoyas’ inside game is led by 6-foot-11 center Qudus Wahab. The big man spent his first two collegiate years at Georgetown before transferring to Maryland last season, when he played nearly eight minutes less per game, leading to him transferring back to GU ahead of this year. He averages 10.3 points and seven rebounds per game, while 6-foot-10 forward Akok Akok averages 7.6 boards and 2.1 blocks per game.

Stephanie Zaso | Design Editor

How Syracuse beats Georgetown

Syracuse has been the favorite against Georgetown in most of the two teams’ recent matchups, though the Orange have won just three of the seven meetings since leaving the Big East in 2013. The loss to the Hoyas last season was one of the worst SU had last season, and given that this year’s GU team already lost to Loyola Marymount by 18 and American by four should make this an easy win for the Orange. But if the recent matchups between the old Big East foes is any indication, this one may not be super easy for SU.

A winning formula for the Orange will start with strong performances from Girard and Edwards, which they’ve gotten in the last two games — both wins. If Syracuse can continue to get the ball inside instead of settling for 3s, they’ll likely find an easier time scoring, especially against Georgetown’s interior, which ranks second nationally with a 3.8% block percentage. SU will also need to patrol the 3-point line well, as Heath and Wayne Bristol Jr. both shoot 45% from beyond the arc. Doing those things early should make this an easy double-digit win for the Orange.

Stat to know: 3.4%

Georgetown ranks 357th out of 363 Division-I teams in minutes continuity from last season, retaining just 3.4% of its minutes from last year’s 25-loss team. The Hoyas’ top seven scorers are all transfers after six players left at the end of last season. Players like Spears, Heath and Murray have taken advantage of the new opportunity, increasing their points per game by 4-5 this year.

Player to watch: Primo Spears, guard, No. 1

Spears has improved almost every facet of his game after transferring from Duquesne last season, and his 38 minutes per game lead the Hoyas this season. Spears isn’t much of a threat from deep, making only 7-of-24 attempts so far. But he’s a very effective driver, 2-point shooter and passer, recording four games with at least six assists.

Last year, Spears led the Dukes with 32.2 minutes per game and became the program’s fifth freshman to lead the team in scoring, reaching double-digit points 19 times. He also led the team with three assists per game. Spears was one of eight players to leave Duquesne following the season, including Syracuse center Mounir Hima.

Published on December 7, 2022 at 11:45 pm

Contact Connor: csmith49@syr.edu | @csmith17_