GAME NOTES: The Syracuse Orange will attempt to avoid a three-game losing streak as they host the Hokies of Virginia Tech on Tuesday at the Carrier Dome in an Atlantic Coast Conference showdown.

Syracuse has dropped two consecutive contests, and lost three of its last four overall to slip to 14-7 on the season with a 5-3 record in ACC play. The Orange were dropped by North Carolina over a week ago, 93-83, in the team's latest outing. But Syracuse is an impressive 11-2 at the Carrier Dome so far.

Virginia Tech was on a seven-game losing streak before the Hokies took down Pittsburgh, 70-67, in overtime exactly a week ago. But the Hokies fell back into the loss column with a 73-70 defeat at the hands of Wake Forest on Saturday, dropping the team to 1-7 against ACC competition. Virginia Tech is 0-6 on the road this season.

The two sides met once already this season in Blacksburg, which saw Syracuse come away with a 68-66 victory. The Orange upped their all-time series lead over the Hokies to 6-2 with that win. The Hokies are 1-3 in Syracuse all-time.

Virginia Tech fell behind to Wake Forest by four points by the time the first half had come to a close on Saturday, but the Hokies were determined to not let the lead balloon for the Demon Deacons. Virginia Tech shot 50 percent in the second half from the floor, but Wake was able to vanquish the Hokies behind a strong shooting performance of its own. Adam Smith netted 12 points to pace Virginia Tech in the loss, while Devin Wilson and Ahmed Hill each chipped in with 11 points (Wilson added six assists). Malik Muller, Justin Bibbs and Christian Beyer all scored 10 points to help the team, but in the end the six double-digit scorers weren't enough.

Bibbs and Smith have been the go-to guys for the Hokies this season when the team has needed some scoring. Each player is netting over 13 points per outing for Tech, led by Bibbs and his 13.4 ppg. The talented freshman missed four games recently with a concussion, so his return should help down the stretch. Smith is just two-tenths of a point behind Bibbs 13.2 ppg, all for a team that is scoring just 66.9 ppg this season on 45.3 percent shooting. The team's defensive woes have been well documented, as the Hokies currently allow opponents to net 67.3 ppg. Wilson sits atop the team's assist category, having dished out 94 helpers already.

It's been over a week since Syracuse has taken the floor against an opponent, and the last time out didn't end so well in the Orange's 10-point defeat against North Carolina. Syracuse held a five-point lead at the intermission, 40-35, but a frantic UNC shooting effort in the second half (62.1 percent) helped the Tar Heels overcome the deficit. Trevor Cooney led the way for Syracuse with 28 points, while Rakeem Christmas tallied a double-double of 22 points and 12 rebounds, hitting a perfect 10-of-10 from the free-throw line. Michael Gbinije netted 16 points with five assists, and Tyler Roberson rounded out the team's double-digit scorers in the loss with 13 points.

It's been a dominant season for Christmas, who leads both Syracuse and the ACC in scoring this season, averaging 18.4 ppg. He's third in the conference in field-goal percentage (.593), fifth in the ACC in rebounding (9.0 rpg) and third in blocked shots (2.1 bpg). Cooney's 14.7 ppg and Gbinije's 11.0 ppg round out a trio of double-digit scorers on the season for the Orange, who are tallying 69.1 ppg as a unit. The team's infamous zone defense is holding opponents to just 61.4 ppg on 38.6 percent shooting from the floor.

This is the perfect opportunity for Syracuse to get back in the win column after two consecutive losses. Virginia Tech is struggling more than any other conference opponent, so the comforts of the Carrier Dome should provide the perfect backdrop for a much-needed win.