Syracuse, Clemson carry 3-game winning streaks into league opener

The end of the calendar year marks the start of conference play for Syracuse and visiting Clemson, which square off Wednesday in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams. The Orange (9-4) and Tigers (10-3) both enter their New Year’s Eve matchup with three-game winning streaks, although it hasn’t always been pretty for either team. Syracuse has defeated Mercyhurst, Northeastern and Stonehill in its last three contests. Naithan George has scored 22 points in each of the last two games, while J.J. Starling added 20 in the win over Stonehill. The Orange led by six early in the second half against the Skyhawks before pulling away for a 77-48 triumph. “Glad we got a dub, but next game we gotta dominate to build that momentum for ACC play,” George said. “We just gotta execute.” Still, Syracuse coach Adrian Autry was pleased with his backcourt of George, Starling and Nate Kingz, who combined for 55 points on 8-of-15 3-point shooting. “When you talk about our backcourt, that’s how we envision it,” Autry sRead More