Syracuse secured an 86-72 victory over Notre Dame at the JMA Wireless Dome, breaking a four-game long streak. The Orange improved to 13-9 overall and 3-5 in the ACC, while the Fighting Irish fell to 11-10 and 2-6 in conference play, marking their seventh defeat in eight contests.
First-Half Surge Sets the Tone
Midway through the opening half, Syracuse unleashed an 11-0 run to seize control and never looked back. Without Donnie Freeman in the starting lineup, the Orange’s wings rose to the occaon. J.J. Starling erupted for 17 points before the break, including three three-pointers, while the team connected on 10 of 25 from beyond the arc overall at 40 percent efficiency.
The game remained close in the early going, with neither team leading by more than four points in the first eight minutes. Nate Kingz ignited the breakout with his second three-pointer, followed quickly by Starling’s back-to-back long-range shots that pushed Syracuse ahead 21-12. Kiyan Anthony added free throws to extend the margin to double digits, and Tyler Betsey drained a triple for a 28-16 lead.
Betsey capped the first-half highlights with a turnaround jumper, swelling the advantage to 32-19. Notre Dame clawed back to within seven, but Starling’s final two points of the period secured a 40-31 halftime edge for the Orange, who shot 57.1 percent from the field for the game.
Second-Half Dominance Seals the Deal
Syracuse quickly expanded the lead to 12 points early in the second half, though Notre Dame twice narrowed it to eight. Tenon peaked when Cole Certa drew a technical foul for protesting a non-call after his three-pointer. Donnie Freeman sank both free throws, and Kingz followed with a corner three to force a timeout at 57-44 with 12:45 remaining.
Betsey’s subsequent three-pointer built a 14-point cushion. The Irish fought back to within x, but Kingz responded with his fifth three-pointer of the night on an expiring shot clock, sparking a 9-0 Syracuse run that created a 75-60 bulge with under five minutes left. Kingz capped his standout second half—where he scored 22 points—with a three-point play on an alley-oop finish while fouled.
The Orange maintained control from there, cruing to the win without facing serious threats.
Standout Performers and Key Stats
Nate Kingz led all scorers with a season-high 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting, including five three-pointers, and contributed three steals. J.J. Starling finished with 21 points, while William Kyle III added 10 as the only other Syracuse player in double figures. Naithan George dished out 10 assts, his third double-digit asst game this season.
For Notre Dame, Jalen Haralson dominated with 26 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 19 after halftime. Braeden Shrewsberry chipped in 17 points, and Carson Towt tallied eight points to go with a game-high eight rebounds. However, the rest of the Irish roster struggled, shooting 7-of-24 from the field.
