ACC Basketball Recap: Notre Dame Defeats Syracuse, 79-69

A Zewski flu game

The Syracuse Orange traveled to South Bend to play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish tonight at the Purcell Pavilion. The Irish, coming off a loss to Wake Forest, looked for a rebound win tonight. How did they do? Let’s take a look!

First Half

After nearly two minutes of back and forth possessions, Syracuse got on the board first with a turnaround jumper by Jimmy Boeheim. Notre Dame got on the board shortly afterward on a second-chance layup by Paul Atkinson Jr. Syracuse then got their first Boeheim three-point shot from Buddy Boeheim. Atkinson Jr. was then fouled by Jimmy Boeheim and went to the line and made both foul shots. Syracuse up 5-4. (16:51)

With 16:00 left in the half, Buddy Boeheim made a turnaround jumper and drew the foul, turning it into a three-point play. Blake Wesley made his first three-point shot of the night, and Notre Dame was down by one, 8-7.

Atkinson Jr. was then fouled by Bourama Sidibe, and Atkinson made both of his foul shots. Wesley then fouled Jimmy Boeheim who made both of his free throws. The Irish answered with a turnaround jumper by Dane Goodwin, quickly answered by Syracuse with a three-point shot by Cole Swider. Syracuse up 13-11.

And just like that, the three-point shots started to fall for the Irish, with Wesley sinking another three. Nate Laszewski fouled Jimmy Boeheim, who made one-out-of-two free throw shots, tying the game at 14. Wesley missed a three-point shot on the next Irish possession, which was rebounded by Syracuse and turned into a Jimmy Boeheim layup at the other end of the court.

Swider missed a jumper, which was grabbed by Notre Dame, and Cormac Ryan made a turnaround jumper in the paint, 16-16. The action continued back and forth with a three-point Syracuse bucket by Swider, and a three-point bucket for Notre Dame by Laszewski, 19-19. (10:52)

After the media timeout, Atkinson Jr. sank a turnaround jumper, followed by a Buddy Boeheim jumper in the paint. Cormac quickly answered with a jumper, followed by another Buddy Boeheim jumper, and it was 23-23.

Atkinson Jr. tried to get a shot off at the buzzer but the officials said he didn’t get it off in time. Syracuse then scored on a Buddy Boeheim jumper, and then after a turnover, scored on a Symir Torrence jumper. 27-23 Syracuse up. (7:21 Media Timeout)

With two seconds on the shot clock, Laszewski knocks down a three-point shot and Notre Dame was within one point. Jimmy Boeheim turned over the ball and the Irish took it down court and Dane Goodwin made a jumper. On the next possession Jimmy Boeheim made a layup in the paint, and Syracuse was up by one, 29-28.

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After a few missed shots from both teams, Jimmy Boeheim sank a three-point shot, and the Boeheim brothers have twelve points EACH. Prentiss Hubb was then fouled by Frank Anselem and Hubb sank this free throw. With 3:42 left in the half, Syracuse was up 32-31.

Jimmy Boeheim fouled Atkinson Jr., who made one-of-two shots from the line, and Syracuse responded with a Joseph Girard Iii jumper. The Irish quickly responded with an Atkinson Jr., and the foul, turning it into a three-point play. This was followed by a Jimmy Boeheim jumper to which Atkinson Jr. responded with a huge dunk. 37-36 Notre Dame up.

Jimmy Boeheim was fouled by Wesley and made one-of-two shots from the line. 37-37 all with just under two minutes remaining in the half. Cormac Ryan made a pullup jumper to give the Irish a two-point lead with 1:20 on the clock.

The officials called a personal foul on Laszewski, which the announcers clearly thought should have been an offensive foul, and Jimmy Boehim made one foul shot from the line. The Irish headed down court and Laszewski sank a huge three point shot, Notre Dame up by four with 32 seconds left in the half, and 42-38 would be the score as the clock ran out.

Half Time Stats

Two-point buckets:
Notre Dame: 15-32, 47%
Syracuse: 14-28, 50%

Three-point buckets:
Notre Dame: 5-16, 31%
Syracuse: 4-11, 36%

Free Throw Shots:
Notre Dame: 7-9, 78%
Syracuse: 6-9, 67%

High Scorers:
Atkinson Jr.: 14 points
Laszewski: 9 points
Wesley: 6 points
Ryan: 6 points

Second Half

The Irish got on the board first in the second half on a three-point bucket by Dane Goodwin, and Jimmy Boeheim picked up right where he left off with a two-point pullup jumper. Cormac missed a three-point shot which was quickly grabbed by Syracuse and turned into a three-point jumper by Cole Swider. 45-43, Notre Dame. Wesley was blocked on a driving layup, which Buddy Boeheim turned into a two-point jumper at the other end and we have a tie game once again.

Jimmy Boeheim made the next jumper from the paint and it sure did seem like the Boeheim show tonight. (Syracuse currently on a 7-0 run.) Right before the 15:58 media timeout, Frank Anselem got a personal foul and the Syracuse bench was not happy.

Coming out of the timeout Cormac Ryan sank a three-point shot and the merry-go-round lead change continued. It was an entertaining up-and-down game for sure. Jimmy Boeheim got his third foul, although he begged to differ, and Ryan went to the line and sank both of his free throw shots to increase the Irish lead to three, 50-47. Wesley got the steal on the next Syracuse possession and Laszewski turned it into a huge three-point shot, Irish lead by six, 53-47 (13:48).

Cormac Ryan stole the ball from Syracuse and Laszewski sank another three-point shot, his fifth, putting some distance between ND and Syracuse. Notre Dame up by 11 with 11:59 on the clock, 58-47.

Hubb fouled Torrence who made one-out-of-two shots from the line, and the Irish responded with a Atkinson Jr. layup at the other end of the court. Atkinson Jr. then drew a foul on Anselem (his fourth), and the Irish took the ball down court but Goodwin missed his three point try. Jimmy Boeheim made a jumper at the other end, and he now has 21 points on the night.

Laszewski made a layup, to which Buddy Boeheim responded with a turnaround jumper, and the lead is at seven points, 62-55, with 7:10 left in the game. (Under 8 media timeout). After the timeout Jimmy Boeheim was the first to get points on the board with a jumper, and Syracuse was within five. But Notre Dame answered with a three-point shot from Cormac Ryan. The Irish have ten three-point shots on the night.

Syracuse’s Torrence made a layup on their next possession, and then stole the ball but got called for an offensive foul on Swider. Notre Dame’s Ryan missed a three-point shot and then Syracuse’s Sidebe scored on a fast break. Cormac Ryan was then called for a personal foul and Sidebe headed to the line where he made both of his foul shots. It was now a two point game, 65-63. (4:00 left in the game.)

Hubb threw up a shot with two seconds left on the shot clock and somehow made a huge momentum swinging three point shot. Boom! Ryan got the defensive rebound and Wesley converted a layup into points and just like that the Irish were back up by seven points. What a roller coaster tonight has been.

Jimmy Boeheim snuck in a layup, and the Irish took the ball down court and Laszewski tried for a three-point shot but missed. At the other end of the court Jimmy Boeheim was fouled by Atkinson Jr. and headed to the line where he made both of his free throw shots. 70-67, Notre Dame up. One possession game.

Sidebe fouled Wesley, who made both of his free throw shots, and then Syracuse went down court and Swider made a jumper to keep it within three points. On the next Irish possession Goodwin missed a jumper but Atkinson Jr. drew the foul on the rebound and made both of his shots from the free throw line. 74-69 Notre Dame.

In the final minute of play Syracuse’s Jimmy Boeheim missed a layup, recovered by Atkinson Jr., who drew the foul and made both of his shots from the line. Then Wesley got fouled and made both of his shots from the line, Notre Dame up by nine, 78-69.

Torrence made a bad pass, which went out of bounds, and the Irish got the ball back with 35 seconds left on the clock. Syracuse then fouled Wesley, who made one shot from the free throw line, and the Irish were up by 10 points. Final score would be 79-69, Notre Dame.

Final Game Stats

Two-point buckets:
Notre Dame: 25-62, 40%
Syracuse: 26-57, 46%

Three-point buckets:
Notre Dame: 11-33, 33%
Syracuse: 6-23, 26%

Free Throw Shots:
Notre Dame: 18-21, 86%
Syracuse: 11-15, 73%

High Scorers:
Atkinson Jr.: 20 points
Laszewski: 17 points
Wesley: 13 points
Ryan: 16 points

Next up the Irish face Georgia Tech on Saturday, February 26th, at 5pm ET.

Cheers & GO IRISH!