Syracuse Survives Notre Dame Rally to Win on Jim Boeheim Day

On Jim Boeheim Day, Syracuse's men's basketball clinched a victory against Notre Dame with a 88-85 win that came down to the second half.

The game opened with Notre Dame seizing an early advantage, notching the first five points. However, Syracuse quickly countered with 24-4 and 17-2 scoring runs. Despite the Irish mounting a spirited 9-0 run at the close of the first half, they entered the half down 49-29.

Notre Dame would not go away, chipping away at the lead in the second half and cut it all the way to three. In fact, the Irish had a shot in the air that would have tied it in the final 30 seconds. The lead that was once 29 points late in the first half was nearly completely erased, but the Orange held on in the final seconds. 

All five starters scored in double digits for the Orange, with Judah Mintz leading the charge with 21 points. Chris Bell added 18 points, including four crucial 3-pointers, while Maliq Brown and JJ Starling contributed 14 points apiece. Justin Taylor also chipped in with 10 points, breaking a season scoring drought, as they shot an impressive 53% from the field.

Despite recent scrutiny from the student section regarding his shooting performance, Coach Autry defended Justin Taylor, emphasizing his unwavering commitment.

“I’m super excited for Justin Taylor. He came out and created scoring opportunities for himself. I pull for him because he has that toughness, and he shows up everyday. I’m with these guys everyday. I don’t care what you guys say, Justin Taylor is an everyday guy. He never quits.”

For JJ Starling, a transfer from Notre Dame, the matchup held special significance, yet he maintained his composure and focus.

“It was a great experience being able to play against my former team … but at the same time I stayed level headed,” said Starling. “I’ve learned a lot playing at Syracuse and I'm going to continue to learn.

Notre Dame demonstrated their persistence in a second-half resurgence, led by guard Markus Burton's who tallied 28 points and eight assists on 10-of-20 shooting. Braeden Shrewsberry ignited the Irish with six 3-pointers in the second half, but missed shots in the final minutes and sealed the deal on the afternoon.

Despite the nail-biting finish, Coach Autry emphasized the need to maintain consistency throughout both halves.

“We have to figure out how to keep that first half going in the second half,” Coach Autry said with a laugh. “But I was happy we gutted out another win.”

25, 294 people were in attendance for today’s game, making it the largest on-campus crowd in college basketball.

The Orange now improve to 18-10 (9-8) on the season. Next up is Virginia Tech in the JMA Wireless Dome Tuesday for senior night. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.