Syracuse faces Niagara

Niagara (2-8) vs. Syracuse (7-5)

Carrier Dome, Syracuse, New York; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Syracuse plays Niagara in a non-conference matchup. Both teams last played this past Saturday. Syracuse won at home over North Florida 82-70, while Niagara came up short in a 92-72 game at Buffalo.

STEPPING UP: Syracuse’s Elijah Hughes has averaged 19.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists while Buddy Boeheim has put up 15.2 points. For the Purple Eagles, James Towns has averaged 15.2 points while Marcus Hammond has put up 11.2 points.

KEY CONTRIBUTIONS: Hughes has either made or assisted on 48 percent of all Syracuse field goals over the last three games. The senior forward has accounted for 23 field goals and 16 assists in those games.

STREAK STATS: Niagara has scored 74 points per game and allowed 87.7 over its three-game road losing streak.

ASSIST DISTRIBUTION: The Orange have recently created baskets via assists more often than the Purple Eagles. Syracuse has an assist on 60 of 81 field goals (74.1 percent) across its past three outings while Niagara has assists on 39 of 78 field goals (50 percent) during its past three games.

DID YOU KNOW: Niagara has committed a turnover on just 17.2 percent of its possessions this season, which is the top rate among all MAAC teams. The Purple Eagles have turned the ball over only 12 times per game this season and just nine times per game over their last five games.