{"id":129682,"date":"2026-02-11T03:47:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T03:47:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/129682\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T03:47:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T03:47:13","slug":"orange-welcome-california-to-the-dome-for-mid-week-matchup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/129682\/","title":{"rendered":"Orange Welcome California to the Dome for Mid-Week Matchup"},"content":{"rendered":"

Game Details:\u00a0Wednesday, February 11, Syracuse, N.Y., 7:00 p.m.
\nLive Stream:\u00a0ESPNU<\/a>
\nLive Coverage:\u00a0Stats<\/a>
\nX (Twitter):\u00a0@Cuse_MBB<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0@Cuse<\/a>
\nInstagram:\u00a0@cuse_mbb<\/a>
\nFacebook:\u00a0Syracuse Orange<\/a>
\nSyracuse Links:\u00a0Notes<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Roster<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Schedule<\/a>
\nCalifornia Links:\u00a0Notes<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0News\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0Roster\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0Schedule<\/a>
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\nAfter spending last week against back-to-back, Top 20 teams on the road, Syracuse (13-11, 4-7 ACC) has returned home in the JMA Wireless Dome on Wednesday to take on California (17-7,5-6, ACC).
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\nOffensive Contributions<\/p>\n

The Orange received contributions from several players during last week’s road swing. Sophomore Donnie Freeman<\/a> led Syracuse in scoring for the 10th time this season against North Carolina, pouring in 23 points and grabbing eight boards. Freeman paces the Orange with a 17.7 scoring average and ranks eighth in the conference during league play at 17.6 points per game.<\/p>\n

Junior Naithan George<\/a> was near-perfect against Virginia, shooting 8-of-9 (.889) from the field for a team-best 19 points after posting 15 earlier in the week against the Tar Heels. George has dished out a team-high 129 assists this season, including 65 in ACC play.<\/p>\n

Senior J.J. Starling<\/a> was instrumental against the Cavaliers as well, scoring 10 first-half points on five made baskets to help Syracuse shrink the deficit\u00a0heading into the break. Over his last nine games, Starling is shooting .478 (55-of-115) and has reached double figures in eight of those performances.

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Kyle III’s Block Party
\nThe Orange rank as one of the nation’s top shot-blocking teams, tied for third nationally at 6.1 blocks per game.
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\nLeading the charge is senior William Kyle III<\/a>, a candidate for the 2025-26 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award. Kyle III has swatted away 65 shots this season, tied for second in Division I and the most of any ACC player. He’s recorded at least one block in all but two games this year and posted new career-highs with six rejections against both Delaware State and Tennessee. He recorded four last weekend against Virginia.
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\nScouting California
\nCalifornia comes to Syracuse with a 17-7 overall record and 5-6 in ACC play, looking to bounce back from a 22-point loss to #20 Clemson. The Golden Bears have collected a few marquee wins this season, including a non-conference victory over UCLA and ACC wins against North Carolina, Stanford and Miami.
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\nThe Golden Bears excel on the perimeter, shooting .373 from 3-point range while connecting on nine triples per game. That efficiency extends to the defensive end, where California holds opponents to just .306 from beyond the arc, the fifth-best mark in the ACC.
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\nWhen California gets to the free-throw line, opposing teams pay the price. The Golden Bears lead the ACC at .785 from the charity stripe and knocked down a season-high 28 free throws in their recent win over Georgia Tech.
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\nDai Dai Ames leads the Golden Bears, having started all 24 contests with a scoring average of 17.0. The 6-foot-2 guard has scored in double figures in all but three games this season, including six in a row. He scored a season-high 29 points last week against Georgia Tech. Ames has experience playing in the ACC after starting 26 games for Virginia last season.
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\nJustin Pippen is another key contributor on offense, having scored at least 10 points in each ACC game this season. Over his last six games, he has posted a 17.5 scoring average, including 19 points in the win over North Carolina. His .816 free throw percentage is also a top-10 mark in the ACC.
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\nCalifornia boasts one of the most lethal 3-point shooters in the league in John Camden. The 6-foot-8 graduate student has connected on 63-of-150 (.420) shots from beyond the arc, the second-highest percentage in the ACC. He has knocked down 14-of-25 (.560) 3-point attempts in his last five games.
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\nCalifornia is led by Mark Madsen, who is in his third season at the helm of the Golden Bears. Madsen guided California to a 12-1 non-conference record, the program’s best start since 1959-60, and has already surpassed his previous single-season win total with the Golden Bears sitting in the middle of the ACC standings.
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\nBefore coaching, Madsen played\u00a0at Stanford and went on to win two NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.
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\nSeries History
\nThe Orange and Golden Bears have clashed five times before, with Syracuse having won four of those contests. Syracuse won last year’s matchup in Berkeley, 75-66, with Starling posting 18 points and dishing out four assists.<\/p>\n

Syracuse Tickets

\nSeason and individual tickets are available at\u00a0cuse.com\/feature\/basketball-tickets<\/a><\/p>\n