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When Syracuse hired Felisha Legette-Jack to become its head coach before the 2022-23 season, the Orange were coming off their worst season since 2006-07. SU won only 11 games in 2021-22 under acting head coach Vonn Read, who left the program to join Houston’s coaching staff following the season.

In Legette-Jack’s first season leading SU in 2022-23, the Orange won 20 games and made it to the Super 16 of the WNIT. This season, Legette-Jack’s team has won 11 of its first 12 games. SU’s most recent victory against then-No. 13 Notre Dame shows that the team is rapidly turning around under Legette-Jack.

The win propelled Syracuse to the No. 25 spot in the AP rankings — earning a spot in the AP poll for the first time since Jan. 2020 — and marked Syracuse’s first time going on an eight-game winning streak since the 2017-2018 season.

With the Orange playing their best basketball, their next test is their first conference game on the road, traveling to Chapel Hill to face North Carolina. The Tar Heels carry a three-game winning streak into their matchup with SU with their most recent win coming against ACC foe Clemson.

Here’s everything to know about North Carolina (9-4, 1-0 ACC) before it hosts Syracuse (11-1, 1-0 ACC) on Thursday:

All-time series

Syracuse leads 9-6.

Last time they played

Syracuse picked up its first and only win against a ranked team in 2022-23 when it hosted then-No. 14 UNC on Feb. 9. The Orange trailed by two at halftime, but dominated in the third quarter, outscoring the Tar Heels 31-14. UNC responded well in the fourth quarter, holding the Orange to just 12 points, but SU’s third quarter dominance led to a 75-67 win.

The backcourt duo of Dyaisha Fair and Georgia Woolley combined for 43 of SU’s 75 points — something the pair will look to replicate on Thursday. The Orange proceeded to lose back-to-back games against then-No. 10 Notre Dame and then-No. 24 Florida State.

The Tar Heel report

The Tar Heels are coming off a 22-11 season which included a trip to the NCAA Tournament. It was UNC’s third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, but it was eliminated in the second round after losing 71-69 to Ohio State.

North Carolina returned two of its top three scorers from last season — Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby — but Kennedy Todd-Williams, who was named Second-team All-ACC, transferred to Ole Miss. Returning to Chapel Hill for their senior seasons, Kelly (15.3 points per game) and Ustby (12.9) lead the Tar Heels in scoring thus far, while graduate transfer Lexi Darnaski’s 11.4 points rank third on the team.

UNC entered 2023-24 ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll and remained in the Top 25 for the first eight weeks of the season, but it was unranked for the first time this week. Before their three-game winning streak, the Tar Heels went on a stretch where they lost four of their previous five games.

How Syracuse beats North Carolina

While the Tar Heels are led by the backcourt duo of Kelley and Ustby, the Orange also possess talented guard play. The upperclassmen backcourt of Fair (19.7) and Woolley (15.4) lead SU in scoring for the second consecutive season.

According to HerHoopStats, both teams are among the premiere scoring teams in the country with the Orange scoring 81.5 points per game (21st) and the Tar Heels scoring 70.9 points per game (93rd). With both teams primarily relying on their guards to get them going offensively, it will be a premiere matchup to watch throughout the game.

Stat to know: 27.5%

The Tar Heels have struggled to get anything going from 3. UNC’s 27.5 3-point% ranks 269th in D-I, while only one player in its rotation (Lexi Donarski) is shooting over 30.0% from distance.

Because North Carolina struggles immensely shooting from behind the arc, the battle of the guards can easily be won if Fair can continue her 3-point success. This season, Fair is shooting a career-best 39.2% from distance and is coming off a game in which she nailed three late 3s in the closing minutes of SU’s win over Notre Dame.

Although Woolley (24.5%) and Sophie Burrows, who missed the last two games due to injury, (22.9%) have struggled from 3 this season, they can provide a huge lift for the Orange if they knock down shots from deep. SU has made seven 3s per game thus far. If it can nail around that many against UNC, it will be difficult for the Tar Heels to keep up offensively.

Player to watch: Lexi Donarski, guard, No. 20

Donarski has had her ups and downs in her first season with the Tar Heels, but she’s coming off her best game of the season. Against Clemson, the graduate transfer scored a season-high 23 points on a season-best six 3-point shots. Donarski, shooting 36.9% on seven 3-point attempts per game, is UNC’s only definitive threat from behind the arc.

Additionally, Donarski is a stout defender. While at Iowa State, she was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team in 2021-22 and 2022-23. In 2021-22, Donarski was named the Big 12

Defensive Player of the Year. It will be interesting to see how UNC utilizes Donarski defensively against the Orange, especially if she matches up with Fair.

Published on January 3, 2024 at 10:20 am

Contact Justin: justingirshon@gmail.com | @JustinGirshon