Game Info: Thursday, December 11, 2025 - 9:00 p.m.
Location: JMA Wireless Dome - Syracuse, N.Y.
TV: ACCNX | Listen: sjuhawks.com | Live Stats: sjuhawks.com | Saint Joseph's Game Notes | Syracuse Game Notes

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Opening Tip
Saint Joseph's wraps a stretch of three games in six days, traveling to Syracuse to face the Orange on Thursday, December 11. Tipoff from the JMA Wireless Dome is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. with the game airing on ACCNX.

Another Game, Another Milestone    
For a second consecutive game, Justice Ajogbor recorded a milestone involving blocks. His first swat of the night against Coppin State was the 200th of his career. The graduate student is third on the active NCAA D1 blocks list and joins Justin Abson (210) of Georgia and Felix Okpara (208) from Tennessee as the only active Division I players with 200 or more rejections. He needs to turn aside four more shots to tie Rob Ferguson (2003-08). Ajogbor needs nine more to crack the top-10 and match the 116 blocks from Ronald Roberts, Jr. (2010-14)

The End of the Road    
The trip to Syracuse marks the final non-conference game away from Hagan Arena this season. The 2025-26 non-conference schedule sees St. Joe's board planes, trains and automobiles more than it has in recent memory. SJU travels 6,021 miles for its road and neutral site games this season, not counting games within the city of Philadelphia. Last year, the Hawks traveled just 192 miles in non-conference play, taking on Texas Tech and Texas in the Legends Classic in Brooklyn. The 6k+ miles Saint Joseph's checks in at for non-conference games this season are more than the past three seasons combined.

'Tis Better To Give...    
The Hawks have been in a giving mood early, as for the third time this season, the Hawks delivered 20 or more assists, dishing 22 against Coppin State. SJU had 25 assists each at UNLV (11/20) and Rutgers-Camden (11/25). The 25 dimes against the Runnin' Rebels came on 26 made baskets. The 96.2 percent assist rate is the highest in NCAA Division I this season, topping the 96.0 percent (24-of-25) by Niagara against Delaware State on November 10. Coppin State marked the second time this season the Hawks topped 80 percent in assist rate. Only Xavier (4) and Texas A&M (3) have more games fitting that criterion.

Long Distance Dedication    
St. Joe's broke out from beyond the arc against the Eagles with a season-high 14 three-pointers. SJU also had its best mark of the season, connecting on 38.9 percent from beyond the arc. Jaiden Glover-Toscano led the way with seven triples, a career-high. Overall, six different Hawks hit a trey.

A Chance To Catch Our Breath    
After Thursday, St. Joe's doesn't play for a week, earning a much-deserved rest. Syracuse wraps a stretch of three games in six days. The last time the Crimson and Gray had that kind of a run in a non-tournament or MTE setting was December 17-22, 2022 when it hosted Villanova, Sacred Heart and Central Connecticut State. It is the first time since December 17-21, 2020 that SJU has played at least three games in six days that included contests away from Hagan Arena.

Stepping Up On Defense    
After a rough start to the season, Saint Joseph's has found its defensive identity in recent games. In its last three contests against Division I opponents, the Hawks are allowing the opposition 64.0 points per game and have held all three teams under 70 points. By contrast, in the first five games of the year, SJU allowed 83.4 PPG with three games above 80 and two teams topping 90. Overall, opponent shooting has dropped from 45.5 percent to 41.1 percent and three-point percentage has gone from 34.9 percent to 29.7 percent. Another big aspect has been the ability to force the opposition to a one-and-done situation as St. Joe's is allowing 5.7 fewer offensive rebounds an outing.

Looking To Break The Ice    
Despite accumulating six wins in their first nine games, the Hawks are still looking for their initial victory in a true road game this year. SJU is 4-0 at home and 2-0 in neutral site games. It is the longest span before an away victory in terms of calendar date since a December 30 win at Richmond in 2021-22. In terms of games, Saint Joseph's hasn't gone four games into its road schedule without a win since 2020-21.

Scouting Report    

• Syracuse enters play 5-3 overall and is coming off a 62-60 win against then No. 13 Tennessee in the ACC/SEC Challenge. The Orange haven't shied away from challenges this season as Tennessee was the third top-25 opponent it faced.
• Leading the offense for SU is Donnie Freeman at 17.8 points per game, however, he has not played since November 18 against Monmouth. Beyond Freeman, it has very much been a team effort with Kiyan Anthony leading the team, tallying 11.2 an outing. William Kyle III and Nate Kingz score 9.9 and 9.5 a contest, respectively while J.J. Starling nets 9.0 a night. Kyle tops the team with 7.9 rebounds per game. Nathan George is fifth in the ACC with 5.3 assists a night.
• No matter what the offense brings to the table, the Orange have traditionally been led by its defense and this season is no exception. SU is 25th nationally in scoring defense at 64.6 points per game and has a +4.1 turnover margin. It also ranks 14th in NCAA D1 with 6.0 blocks per game, helping lead to an opposing field goal percentage of just 38.3.
• Partly due to the level of competition it has faced, Syracuse has struggled on the glass ranking next to last in the ACC at 35.9 boards per game. It has also not shot well from distance with a 29.0 three-point percentage.
• Adrian Autry is in his third season as the head coach at SU. In his first season with the team, he won 20 games and has a record of 39-34 overall.

All-Time Series    
Thursday is the ninth all-time meeting between Saint Joseph's and Syracuse the schools, dating to the 1944-45 season. The two teams have split the previous eight contests. SJU won four of the first five, but the Orange have claimed three in a row. Five of the previous eight meetings have been in regular season tournaments. The Hawks are looking for their first win against SU since a 59-57 victory on December 5, 1981 in the Carrier Classic.

Last Time Against Syracuse    
Johnny Flynn hit a three-pointer with six seconds remaining as Syracuse narrowly escaped with a 72-69 win in the NIT Season Tipoff on November 13, 2007. Darrin Govens and Pat Calathes each scored 22 for St. Joe's. Tasheed Carr netted 13 and dished nine assists. Trailing by three at halftime, the Hawks saw SU go on a 12-3 run to open the second stanza. Saint Joseph's battled back and tied the game at 68-68 on a layup and free throw by Calathes with 25 seconds left.

Towering Over The Competition    
With Justice Ajogbor (6'10"), Jaden Smith (6'11") and Steven Solano (7'0"), the Hawks' roster is loaded with height. Only eight opponents for St. Joe's have three or more players who are 6'10" or taller, led by five on Duquesne's roster. Two teams – Princeton and Rutgers-Camden – do not have a player on their squad that is taller than 6'9".

Next Up    
The Hawks are back on the court on Thursday, December 18, hosting Delaware State. Tipoff from Hagan Arena is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.