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A postponement early in the season crammed Syracuse’s schedule with three games in a five-day span. It most recently fell 73-67 to Florida State at home, ending a two-game win streak the Orange built on the road.

Virginia Tech, on the other hand, hasn’t played since Sunday and is on a four-game Atlantic Coast Conference win streak, holding their opponents to no more than 63 points during that span. The Hokies sit third in the conference, and a win for Syracuse could move it out of 11th place, where it has sat comfortably for the past few weeks.

Here is everything you need to know before Syracuse (11-13, 4-10 ACC) hosts No. 23 Virginia Tech (19-6, 11-3 ACC):

All-time series

Syracuse leads 8-7.

Last time they played

The two sides faced each other just once last season in Blacksburg at a similar point in the season. Syracuse lost by just eight points against a Virginia Tech team that sat just below the Orange in the ACC standings. After trailing by 12 points in the first quarter then 22 by halftime, SU inched its way back into contention scoring 46 second-half points but fell just short of a crucial conference win.

Tiana Mangakahia and Kamilla Cardoso each led Syracuse with 18 points, as the rest of the team was held to single-digits. But the Hokies, led by Aisha Sheppard’s 23 points and eight field goals, escaped to a narrow victory. Virginia Tech shot 50% from the field compared to Syracuse’s 43%, a lackluster shooting performance driven by just nine makes in the first half.

The Hokies report

Virginia Tech is on track to finish with its best record since the 1998-99 season, where it lost just three games as a member of the Atlantic 10. The Hokies 36.3% 3-point field goal percentage sits at 23rd in the country and they beat teams by just under 15 points a game.

But defensively is where Virginia Tech will mostly handle Syracuse. The Hokies’ scoring defense ranks 19th in the country, allowing 55.2 points per game, and they rank sixth in the ACC (78th nationally) in defensive rebounds per game at 27.1. And on top of that, the team commits just 12.7 turnovers per game.

The Hokies have dropped only three conference games this season, and they are riding a four-game winning streak, heading into the Dome with two straight wins over ranked opponents. They’ve only been held to less than 30% from the field two times this season and scored below 60 points six times, giving the Orange plenty to handle with just two days of rest.

How Syracuse beats Virginia Tech

Like Syracuse, Virginia Tech has more experience than youth on its roster, with four of its five regular starters ranging from juniors to graduate students. But while every Orange starter averages double-figures, only three Hokies score more than 10 points per game. The Hokies have just two players with triple digits on the boards, but they are carried by Elizabeth Kitley’s 252.

Despite being one of the most all-around starting units in the country, Virginia Tech’s depth is in a similar state to that of Syracuse. The Hokies dress 10 players a game compared to the Orange’s nine, but compared to other ACC opponents, who play nearly double that amount, SU may be able to hang later in the game if it can win the battles inside.

The Hokies will rely mainly on Kitley and Sheppard to generate their scoring. So if Syracuse can limit that and have an all-around shooting performance, it could very much secure its second win of the season against a ranked opponent.

Player to watch: Elizabeth Kitley, center, No. 33

Kitley will challenge Syracuse where it is most vulnerable — in the paint. At 6-foot-6, Kitley is taller than the Orange’s tallest player in 6-foot-3 Alaysia Styles, SU’s “center by committee.” Kitley leads the ACC in field goals made (179) and is second in points per game (17.3). She is also one of two ACC players who average over 10 rebounds a game at 10.1, ranking 35th nationally.

The junior center has started all 25 games for the Hokies and leads them in each of the above categories. She has recorded 11 double-doubles this season — seven against ACC opponents — all in points and rebounds. Kitley has surpassed the 20-point mark 10 times this season and has tied a season-high 34 points twice.

Stat to know: 37.5%

Virginia Tech has scored over a third of its points from beyond the arc, ranking 24th nationally. Three Hokies starters shoot at least 38% from deep, led by Georgia Amoore who shoots 42.1% from beyond the arc.

Syracuse, on the other hand, has struggled from deep in its last three games, scoring a combined 16 3-pointers, which included a season-low 10% success rate against Pittsburgh. What was once the Orange’s go-to weapon has recently become a weakness. They now average below a third of their shots from deep, which accounts for 31.9% of their points this season. However, SU holds its opponents to a similar 30.8% from 3-point range as its full-court press forces opponents to shoot — and typically miss — from deep.

Published on February 16, 2022 at 8:41 pm

Contact Alex: ahcirino@syr.edu