Syracuse snuck past North Florida on Saturday by six points after losing two straight. The No. 22 Orange (5-2) enters its matchup against Connecticut (3-4) at Madison Square Garden still searching for consistency throughout entire games. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2. It’s the first time SU and UConn will play at MSG since 2012.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Huskies.

All-time series: Syracuse leads, 55-37

Last time they played: The Orange advanced to the championship game in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament last season with a 79-76 win over then-No. 18 Connecticut in the semifinals last season on Nov. 26, 2015. SU shot 47.9 percent from the field and 45 percent from 3. Syracuse’s scoring load came from Michael Gbinije (17), Trevor Cooney (17) and Tyler Lydon (16). The Orange and the Huskies went back and forth for the first 27 minutes of the game until Syracuse took the lead for good and held on. SU went undefeated in three games on Paradise Island, three key wins that helped the Orange’s resumé entering the postseason.

The Connecticut report: The Huskies are powered by Jalen Adams and Rodney Purvis, who have played 90 and 86.2 percent of UConn’s minutes this year, respectively. Adams’ 90 percent of minutes played ranks No. 35 the country, per Kenpom.com. With forward Terry Larrier and guard Alterique Gilbert out for the year, Adams (18.0) and Purvis (11.3) are the only Connecticut players averaging more than 8.2 points per game. The Huskies are coming off a two-point win over Boston University on Wednesday and have had several other lackluster results, even in wins. Their season began with losses against Wagner by nine and Northeastern by three.

How Connecticut beats Syracuse: The Orange has skated through its past three games with just one win, a nail-biter against North Florida. Both teams enter the matchup struggling, but SU has lost against two teams that are now ranked. The Orange also ranks 10th in the country in 3-point percentage (42.9). Connecticut, on the other hand, has allowed opponents to make 36.1 percent of long balls, 218th in the nation. These numbers lean toward a significant SU advantage, but if the Huskies can neutralize Syracuse from behind the arc, the Orange has yet to prove it can dominate a game inside.

Stat to know: 95.6 — Connecticut’s adjusted defensive efficiency rating, which ranks 51st national, per Kenpom. While the Huskies’ season has gotten off to a rocky start, one slight positive, comparatively, has been its defense. It hasn’t been enough to stave off mid-major opponents at times this year, but could be a starting point for a turnaround before conference play.

Player to watch: Jalen Adams, point guard, No. 2

Adams has carried the Huskies this year and his role is amplified as the team’s point guard. He’s used on 29 percent of Connecticut’s possessions this season, per Kenpom, meaning that 29 percent of UConn’s possessions end with Adams being the last one to touch the ball, whether that be a made shot, a missed shot that isn’t offensive rebounded or committing a turnover. The sophomore’s 29.0 percentage of possessions used ranks 117th nationally.

Published on December 5, 2016 at 10:49 am

Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds