Syracuse, N.Y. — The Syracuse men’s basketball team will be looking for its second win over Notre Dame and its ninth victory in its last 11 games when it hosts the Fighting Irish at 7 p.m. Saturday in the JMA Wireless Dome.
The Orange’s improved results this year began with a 62-61 road win at Notre Dame, a game in which Jesse Edwards dominated against the Fighting Irish’s small frontcourt. Edwards scored 22 points on 10-for-15 shooting, while also collecting 16 rebounds.
The Fighting Irish have just one player taller than 6-foot-8 in finesse forward Nate Laszewski and rarely force turnovers, collecting just four in the first meeting between the teams. That means Notre Dame will likely need to shoot well against SU’s 2-3 zone to win, something the Fighting Irish do have the personnel to accomplish.
Notre Dame coach Mike Brey’s tendency to field a skilled offensive team has traditionally led to the Fighting Irish adopting a 3-point heavy approach against the zone. Notre Dame took 33 of its 60 shots from behind the 3-point line in the first meeting between the teams.
Notre Dame has struggled to a 9-8 record this season and is coming off its first Atlantic Coast Conference win in six tries. The Orange is 11-6 (4-2) and trying to claw its way back from its early-season struggles.
Former Section III star JJ Starling (Baldwinsville) is in the middle of his freshman season at Notre Dame.
The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network.
See in-game and individual stats here.
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Final: Syracuse wins 78-73. The Orange come back from 12 points down and avoid what would have been a crushing loss against Notre Dame. Huge game for three freshmen. Judah Mintz continued to play exceptional basketball, while Chris Bell and Maliq Brown joined him with career-highs.
Mintz with 8 points, 8 assists and only one turnover. Bell with 17. Brown with 15. The comeback was keyed by Syracuse turning to the press, which seemed to cause Notre Dame to rush just enough.
Jesse Edwards took advantage of an interior mismatch and delivered an expected line of 13 points and 15 rebounds. Brown joined him scoring around the rim, converting a number of passes from Mintz.
With Notre Dame struggling so much this year, the win won’t boost Syracuse’s postseason hopes much. But a loss would have been devastating.
A young Syracuse team continues to get better and heads into a big opportunity at Miami on Monday. Syracuse will enter the game at 12-6 (5-2 ACC) and playing much better basketball than when the season started.
:1.8: Judah Mintz puts Syracuse ahead by 5 by drawing another foul on a drive. He’s got eight assists and scored all six of his points at the free-throw line. A true point guard performance. Notre Dame gets a putback but it would take a disaster for Syracuse to lose this now. Two freshmen had career-highs and Mintz was exceptional driving and dishing.
1:06: Jesse Edwards makes two free throws. Syracuse leads 74-71.
1:16: Judah Mintz draws a foul with some dazzling dribbling. Gives Syracuse the lead by making 1 of 2. Orange get the ball back after an air ball by Trey Wertz.
2:06: All tied up at 71. Huge game for Syracuse’s freshmen. Chris Bell and Maliq Brown both have career-highs, including a Bell 3-pointer that briefly gave Syracuse its first lead since early in the first half. Bell has 17 points. Maliq Brown has 15.
Notre Dame has the ball. Syracuse seems to have momentum.
5:18: Boehim calls timeout, perhaps to get Joe Girard III back on the floor. Orange have the ball trailing 68-62. After leading by 12, Fighting Irish cling to a 66-62 lead.
6:44: Nate Laszewski with a rare offensive rebound and putback to slow SU’s momentum. He finishes a 3-point play. Judah Mintz draws a foul and makes one.
The television broadcast crew says Joe Girard III is healthy enough to return and he’s at the scorer’s table now.
7:58: It’s now a one-possession game. Notre Dame leads 63-60 but Syracuse has grabbed momentum. The Fighting Irish have still gotten good shots against SU’s press but they have started to miss, perhaps rushing a little bit more. Jesse Edwards swatted a Dane Goodwin 3-point attempt on the possession before the timeout, a play that would have made Hakim Warrick proud.
No word yet on whether Girard has an injury keeping him out or whether Syracuse is rolling with the guys making this run.
9:25: Is this the start of a Syracuse comeback? Orange cut the Notre Dame lead to 59-52. Fighting Irish have started to miss a few shots against the Syracuse press as SU searches for something on defense. All of this has been without Joe Girard III, who went to the locker room after a Notre Dame player fell on him and knocked his head into the floor.
Girard is back on the bench but SU’s youngsters have changed the momentum.
11:51: Notre Dame increases its lead to 59-47. The Fighting Irish continue to bomb away and now have 14 3-pointers. Fighting Irish shooting 51.9 percent from deep. Trading 3s for 2s continues, much to Syracuse’s dismay.
Notre Dame has taken 29 of 37 shots from behind the 3-point line.
13:41: Starting to get repetitive here. Dane Goodwin nails a corner 3. Maliq Brown scores on a putback. Notre Dame leads 53-44.
15:54: More of the same for both teams. Jesse Edwards and Maliq Brown both scoring around the rim for Syracuse but the Orange continues to have issues getting stops as Nate Laszewski knocks down another 3-pointer. Notre Dame has bumped its lead to 50-42, trading 3s for 2s.
18:27: So much for that good start. JJ Starling dunks over the top of Chris Bell after a Nate Laszewski 3-pointer. A highlight reel play. Notre Dame bumps its lead up to 45-38. Boeheim calls timeout to talk to Benny Williams who launched a free-throw line jumper to ignite a Notre Dame run out.
19:42: A positive sign for the Syracuse defense coming out of halftime. Notre Dame forced to call timeout on its first possession after being trapped on the sideline.
Halftime: Notre Dame ends the half with a deep desperation 3 late in the shot clock on its second-to-last possession from Trey Wertz. Not a good possession for Notre Dame before settling for a deep one, but a fitting end to the half. That’s nine 3-pointers in the first half for Notre Dame. Irish own a 40-36 lead at the mid-way point.
Chris Bell with a game-high 11 points on four shots but Fighting Irish shooting 50 percent from behind the arc.
2:12: Notre Dame up to 8 3-pointers made in the first half, owns a 37-33 lead. Five different players have connected and the Irish are 53.3 percent from behind the arc. Syracuse’s offense has been nearly as good to keep pace. Dane Goodwin of Notre Dame has a game-high 10 points. Syracuse getting a balanced effort from Jesse Edwards and Chris Bell (8 points each) and Joe Girard III with seven points.
7:39: Tied at 26 at the timeout. This game is playing to expectations. Notre Dame is really having issues with Syracuse’s size but the Fighting Irish is having a good shooting night so far and keeping pace.
8:57: Hope everyone bet the over. Notre Dame is carving up the zone. Syracuse is taking advantage of its size. Stops are infrequent. Judah Mintz gives Syracuse the lead back with a 3-point play. 26-24.
11:57: Maliq Brown made an immediate impact for Syracuse with a putback dunk on the first play after coming in off the timeout. Then Marcus Hammond became the fourth Fighting Irish player to hit a 3-pointer. Notre Dame leads 19-15.
12:53: Notre Dame takes a 16-13 lead as the teams play more than 7 minutes without a stoppage. As expected, Notre Dame has taken 9 of its 13 shots from behind the 3-point line. It has made four, with three different players connecting.
Jesse Edwards, as also expected, is off to a strong start for Syracuse. He has four points and three rebounds. One of his offensive rebounds led to a 3-pointer for Joe Girard III.
Notre Dame starters are also normal: JJ Starling, Trey Wertz, Cormac Ryan, Dane Goodwin and Nate Laszewski.
Syracuse booster and Central New York businessman Adam Weitsman has brought another celebrity guest to tonight’s game. Fans of the television show Yellowstone will be excited.
Syracuse is rolling with its usual starting lineup of Judah Mintz, Joe Girard III, Chris Bell, Benny Williams and Jesse Edwards.
Here’s a look at a few of the things that Syracuse.com’s Mike Waters thinks will be key against the Fighting Irish.
— Mike Waters (@MikeWatersSYR) January 14, 2023Remember the key number: 72
Syracuse is 11-0 when it holds the opponent to 72 points or less.
SU is 0-6 when the opponent scores 73 or more.
MORE ORANGE BASKETBALL:
Could Jesse Edwards’ 6 assists signal the start of a trend, plus other Syracuse basketball notes
How do Chris Bell’s rebounding numbers compare to past small forwards? (Mike’s Mailbox)
Reliving 2003: Syracuse cracks the Top 25, then makes a statement in win vs. No. 11 Missouri
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