GAME NOTES: A pair of Big East Conference teams will collide tonight in Washington, D.C., as the fifth-ranked Georgetown Hoyas take on the Syracuse Orange. Syracuse has lost three of its last four games to fall to 13-6 overall, including 3-3 in league play. On Saturday, the Orange played host to No. 25 Villanova, but they were outplayed by the Wildcats in an 81-71 setback. Syracuse has only played three true road games to date, and two of those have resulted in defeat. As for Georgetown, it suffered a 69-60 loss to 15th-ranked Pittsburgh last Monday, the team's first conference loss of the season. Fortunately for the Hoyas, they bounced back strong with an 84-65 triumph over Notre Dame on Saturday, improving to 9-0 at home and 4-1 in the league. Syracuse holds a 42-35 series lead over Georgetown, and the Orange won last season's meeting by a 72-58 final.

Syracuse relies heavily on a pair of freshmen, as Donte Greene and Jonny Flynn have emerged as the best players on the team. Greene is an explosive scorer who is netting 18.5 ppg to go along with 7.7 rpg. As for Flynn, a dynamic point guard, he checks in with 14.9 ppg and 102 assists. Arinze Onuaku (13.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg) and Paul Harris (13.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 67 assists) have both started all 19 games and have been extremely effective. As a team, the Orange are scoring 82.5 ppg while allowing 75.0 ppg, although the differential isn't as great in conference play. In the 10-point loss to Villanova on Saturday, Flynn scored a team-high 23 points. Scoop Jardine netted 15 points, Greene added 12 points, and Onuaku pitched in with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Unfortunately, Syracuse was outscored 27-20 from the foul line and turned the ball over 19 times.

Georgetown figured to have its hands full with Notre Dame on Saturday, so the fact that the win came so easily was a bit surprising. The Hoyas connected on 52.8 percent of their field goal attempts and limited the Fighting Irish to 32.8 percent. Four of the five starters for Georgetown reached double figures in scoring, and Roy Hibbert led the charge with 21 points and five assists. The fact that the 7-2 Hibbert had two more assists than rebounds was surprising, and he did not turn the ball over at all. DaJuan Summers finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Austin Freeman (16) and Jessie Sapp (14) both scored in double figures as well. Hibbert leads the squad with 13.1 ppg and 6.5 rpg, and Summers is contributing 11.4 ppg. Freeman adds 10.3 ppg to the mix, and Jonathan Wallace is netting 10.2 ppg.

Georgetown is a veteran team that has the advantage of playing at home tonight, so it is hard to imagine a young Syracuse club winning this game on the road.