Orange Squeeze: Syracuse Edges Out Notre Dame at Purcell Pavilion
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish, ranked 15th, faced a challenging encounter against the 22nd-ranked Syracuse Orange, culminating in a 79-65 outcome. The Fighting Irish now stand with a record of 15-5 while the Orange improved to 22-3. Despite the home-court advantage at Purcell Pavilion, the visitors managed to outscore the hosts in a game marked by numerous lead changes and ties.
The Fighting Irish opened with resilience but trailed by one point at the end of the first quarter. They continued to battle through each quarter but couldn't overcome Syracuse's offensive surge, particularly in the final quarter where they were outscored significantly. The home team's efforts were evident in their fast break points tallying up to 16 and their tenacious defense leading to ten steals.
Notre Dame's free throw accuracy was commendable as they converted 82 percent from the line. However, their field goal percentage stood at just 33 percent which proved insufficient against Syracuse's more effective shooting performance. The Fighting Irish also made five three-pointers throughout the game and demonstrated strong ball handling with an assists turnover ratio of 0.83.
Syracuse showcased a robust defensive front with eight blocks and seven steals contributing to their victory. Their rebounding was dominant as well; they pulled down an impressive total of fifty rebounds including eighteen offensive boards that led to twenty-three second chance points.
The Orange capitalized on turnovers scoring fourteen points off them while maintaining an efficient field goal percentage of forty-four percent throughout four quarters of play. Their three-point shooting was also notable as they hit six shots from beyond the arc at forty-three percent accuracy.
As fans look ahead, Notre Dame will take on UConn Huskies next on January 27th at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion located in Storrs, CT for another conference showdown scheduled for an evening tip-off at 8:00 PM Eastern Time Zone (ET). This matchup can be viewed nationally on FOX network ensuring fans won't miss any action from this anticipated game.