Notre Dame Fighting Irish's Effort Falls Short Against Syracuse Orange at JMA Wireless Dome

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish faced a challenging contest against the Syracuse Orange, culminating in a 69-77 defeat. This outcome shifts the season trajectory for both teams, with the Fighting Irish now looking to regroup and focus on their upcoming matches. Despite a strong start that saw them leading by as much as 17 points, Notre Dame couldn't maintain their momentum against a resilient Syracuse team.

Key Moments and Performances

The game was marked by several key performances from the Notre Dame side. Markus Burton led the charge with an impressive 28 points, showcasing his scoring ability by converting 46 percent of his field goals and achieving a perfect free throw percentage. His effort on the court was commendable, playing for significant time and maintaining an efficiency game score of 14.6.

Matt Allocco also stood out with his contribution of 11 points and seven rebounds, demonstrating his versatility on both ends of the floor. Allocco's shooting was particularly efficient; he hit 80 percent from the field including making all of his three-point attempts.

However, despite these individual efforts, Notre Dame struggled in certain areas which ultimately affected their performance. The team had difficulty in maintaining possession, turning over the ball 13 times throughout the game. Additionally, their assist-to-turnover ratio stood at a lowly 0.23, indicating struggles in creating scoring opportunities without losing ball control.

Syracuse's Comeback

On the other side of the court, Syracuse showcased why they are formidable opponents this season. Their comeback was fueled by strategic plays and effective teamwork which saw them overturning a significant deficit to secure victory at home. The Orange were particularly effective in drawing fouls and capitalizing on free throws; they attempted twice as many free throws as Notre Dame which played a crucial role in their second-half resurgence.

Syracuse also demonstrated strong defensive capabilities with nine steals and four blocks compared to Notre Dame’s six steals and one block - highlighting areas where they were able to limit Notre Dame’s offensive options effectively.

Looking Ahead

As Notre Dame looks ahead to their next challenge against Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on January 25th at 6:30 PM EDT fans can catch all action live on ESPN2.