CLEMSON, S.C. — Syracuse basketball (19-11, 10-7 ACC) looks to end its regular season on a high note when the Orange visit the Clemson Tigers (18-12, 8-9 ACC) on Saturday afternoon.
The game tips off just after at 12 p.m. at Littlejohn Coliseum and will be televised nationally on CBS. Carter Blackburn and Pete Gillen are the announcers.
Syracuse is coming off a 79-53 loss at the hands of No. 2 Virginia on Monday night at the Carrier Dome. The Orange hung around with the Cavaliers, and even led for significant stretches, in the game’s first 25 minutes before falling apart under a deluge of UVA three-point shots in the contest’s final 15 minutes.
What’s at stake for Syracuse?
Syracuse can lock down the 6 seed at next week’s ACC Tournament with a win at Clemson. The Orange could also get the 6 seed with a loss, if Louisville loses at Virginia later on Saturday afternoon, as expected.
Syracuse (No. 42 in NET) is essentially a lock to make the NCAA Tournament right now in this season of the soft NCAA bubble. However, a win over the Tigers could help improve its seeding, not to mention eliminate the lingering bad thoughts from the Virginia loss.
For its part, Clemson will badly want this game to further solidify its standing just inside the NCAA bubble.
Saturday’s contest is the 9th all-time meeting between Syracuse and Clemson, with the teams each having won four of the first eight games. The Orange, however, have won the last three matchups. That includes a 61-53 home conquest of the Tigers on Jan. 9 this season. The Cuse also beat Clemson to close out last year’s regular season, 55-52 at the Dome. The last meeting between the teams at Clemson was won by the Orange, 82-81, on Feb. 7, 2017.
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Photos by Adam Rombel/BJNN