Syracuse, NY (Sports Network) - A pair of teams off to completely difference starts in the Big East collide at the Carrier Dome tonight, as the DePaul Blue Demons tangle with the Syracuse Orange.

The Blue Demons enter the game in search of their first league victory after opening their Big East campaign with back-to-back losses. The team got things started with a 92-82 setback to nationally-ranked Notre Dame before falling, 62-54, at Providence on Saturday. Losers of three of their last four game and three straight on the road, DePaul now sits at 8-7 on the season.

As for Syracuse, it opened Big East play with a 100-76 trouncing of Seton Hall prior to slipping past South Florida, 59-54, on Friday. The Orange's winning streak has now reached five games, as it has won 14 of its first 15 games of the season.

Syracuse defeated DePaul, 60-55, last season, giving it a 5-4 lead in the head-to-head series.

The Blue Demons are averaging 68.9 ppg on the season, but that number could be a lot higher if they weren't shooting so poorly from long range (.271) and at the foul line (.628). Dar Tucker is shooting only 32.1 percent from long distance, but he still paces the team in scoring with 19.6 ppg. Mac Koshwal averages a double-double with 14.2 ppg and a team-best 11.2 rpg for DePaul, while Will Walker chips in with 10.7 ppg. In the team's last game, the Demons shot a dismal 35.1 percent from the floor, including a mere 3-of-19 effort from downtown, as they were defeated by Providence. Walker guided the team in the loss with 14 points, while Tucker had a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. Tucker though, made only 4-of-17 field goals and he missed all six of his three-point attempts.

Syracuse is outscoring its foes by 14.1 ppg this season, as it is shooting an efficient 50.4 percent from the floor compared to just 38.6 percent by opposing clubs. Jonny Flynn tops the roster in scoring at 16.8 ppg and he has also been in charge of setting up his teammates, handing out a team-high 5.1 apg. Eric Devendorf, who missed a couple of games due to suspension, checks in with 13.9 ppg and 3.3 apg and Paul Harris contributes 12.9 ppg and a team-best 8.4 rpg. Arinze Onuaku adds 12.2 ppg and 7.7 rpg to the rotation, and Andy Rautins rounds out the double-figure scores with 11.3 ppg. In the club's prior outing, Rautins dropped in 14 points and snared seven boards to lift the Orange over South Florida. Onuaku notched a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards, and Flynn logged 11 points and six rebounds. Syracuse won the battle on the boards, 44-33, helping it compensate for a dismal 7-of-18 showing at the foul line.