Syracuse faces tough test vs No. 8 Fla St.
Syracuse (14-10, 7-6) vs. No. 8 Florida State (20-4, 10-3)
Donald L. Tucker Center, Tallahassee, Florida; Saturday, 12 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: No. 8 Florida State presents a tough challenge for Syracuse. Syracuse has won one of its two games against ranked teams this season. Florida State lost 70-65 at Duke on Monday.
FEARLESS FRESHMEN: Syracuse has relied heavily on its freshmen. Elijah Hughes, Buddy Boeheim, Joseph Girard III and Quincy Guerrier have combined to account for 73 percent of the team’s scoring this year and 76 percent of all Orange points over the team’s last five games.EXCELLENT ELIJAH: Hughes has connected on 35.9 percent of the 170 3-pointers he’s attempted and has made 4 of 25 over his last five games. He’s also converted 81 percent of his free throws this season.
STREAK STATS: Florida State has won its last 12 home games, scoring an average of 82.7 points while giving up 65.4.
PASSING FOR POINTS: The Orange have recently used assists to create buckets more often than the Seminoles. Florida State has an assist on 34 of 83 field goals (41 percent) across its past three outings while Syracuse has assists on 31 of 74 field goals (41.9 percent) during its past three games.
STINGY STATE: Florida State has forced opponents into committing turnovers on 25.1 percent of all possessions, the highest rate among all ACC teams.
