Syracuse will try for its 27th win of the season when it travels to New Jersey to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE: On Jan. 28, 2003, Syracuse—which would go on to win the national championship that year—lost to Rutgers at the RAC, 68-65. It was one of only five losses that season for the Orange, and it came against a team that finished the season 12-16 (4-12 Big East). As it relates to Syracuse and Rutgers, little has changed in the last nine years. SU is once again atop the Big East, while the Scarlet Knights are losers of four straight games, and are currently 12-14 (4-9). But the Scarlet Knights have had some success against ranked teams at home this season, defeating then-No. 8 UConn 67-60 on Jan. 7, and then-No. 10 Florida, 85-83 in a double overtime thriller. Surely, Mike Rice’s team will be looking for a repeat as they host the No. 2 Orange.
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SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS: A pair of freshman top Rutgers in scoring, with guards Eli Carter (13.6 points) and Myles Mack (10.1) leading the way. While it bodes well for the future of the program, Mack seems to be hitting the rookie wall. He’s averaging 6.3 points on 5-for-22 shooting in his last three games. That included a nightmare 0-for-9 shooting performance in a 59-54 loss to Seton Hall on Feb. 8.
IN RUTGERS’ LAST GAME: Jack Cooley scored 22 points and grabbed 18 rebounds as No. 25 Notre Dame outscored Rutgers 38-25 in the second half in a 71-53 win. Dane Miller had 12 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Scarlet Knights.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING: The last time these two teams met, the Orange narrowly defeated Rutgers 84-80 in overtime on Feb. 19, 2010. Rick Jackson had 18 points and 12 rebounds, along with some timely free throw shooting to help SU to the win. The Orange is 37-9 all-time against the Scarlet Knights.
GAME INFORMATION: Sun, Feb. 19, 1:00 p.m. Piscataway, NJ. TV: ESPN. Follow us on Twitter @thejuiceonline for live game updates.
