:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66154696/usa_today_12235770.0.jpg)
Teams: Syracuse Orange (9-8, 3-3) vs. Duke Blue Devils (9-9, 3-4)
Day and Time: Thursday, January 23, 8 p.m. ET.
Location: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
Where to Watch: ACC Network Extra
Georgia Tech Blog: Duke Basketball Report
Current Record: 5-3, Duke
First Meeting: The Orange dropped a lopsided game to then-No. 16 Duke by a score of 84-40 back in 1995. Dark days...
Last Meeting: Syracuse beat Duke in Durham last season by a score of 64-55. Kiara Lewis led the Orange with 20 points in Cameron.
Head Coaches: Syracuse - Quentin Hillsman (14th season, 297-152 at SU). Duke - Joanne P. McCallie (13th season, 321-104 at Duke)
Coach Bio: Joanne P. McCallie is one of the best under the radar coaches in the country. She has accumulated 628 wins during her time as a head coach at Maine, Michigan State, and Duke. She played her college ball at Northwestern for four years, and upon graduating became an assistant at the University of Auburn. She was named AP Coach of the Year in 2005, and has won ACC Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2012.
Last Year: Duke had a down year last season, finishing 15-15, going 6-10 in conference play. They were preseason ranked 21 in the country, but failed to garnish any big wins or ride any momentum. They lost 7 of their first 8 ACC games last season.
Last Game: Duke lost a tight road game at Clemson by a score of 62-58.
“Fear Me, I’ve Killed Hundreds of Timelords”: Senior forward Leaonna Odom has big play making ability. Her ability to both rebound and score from all over the floor is what has killed Syracuse a lot this year. She led her team with 20 points last game, so look for Duke to stick with the hot hand.
If Syracuse Wins: Well, Syracuse needs to win games like these to bolster their resume. They’re slight off the bubble (as in, outside of it), but losses like this will be a major blow to tournament hopes. So let’s get a win!
If Syracuse loses: The tournament hopes start to slowly dwindle as winnable games keep coming up as Ls.
Fun Fact: The first 450 students will receive a ticket to the Syracuse vs. Duke men’s basketball game if they stay for the whole game. Let’s hope some students come out to enjoy some women’s hoops.