The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame ended their five-game ACC losing streak with a gritty 69-64 victory over Syracuse on Saturday afternoon.
Brayden Shrewsberry led the charge for the Irish, pouring in 25 points to tie a career high, including six crucial 3-pointers, as Notre Dame leaned on its outside shooting to fend off the Orange. Kebba Njie added a strong performance inside with 9 points and 9 rebounds, helping the Irish out-rebound Syracuse 34-31.
Syracuse was paced by Donni Freeman, who recorded a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds, and J.J. Davis, who chipped in another 20 points. Despite their dominance in the paint, outscoring Notre Dame 40-28, the Orange failed to connect from beyond the arc, going 0-9 on 3-point attempts.
The game remained close throughout, with eight lead changes and eight ties. However, Notre Dame's timely 3-point shooting and clutch free throws down the stretch proved to be the difference.
The win improves Notre Dame's record to 5-5 on the season and 1-0 in ACC play, providing a much-needed confidence boost. Coach Micah Shrewsberry praised his team’s resilience but noted areas for improvement, particularly in protecting the ball and defending the paint.
The Irish will look to build on this momentum in their next matchup next Wednesday, December 11th against Dartmouth.
Make sure to check out Len Clark's full analysis here:
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YouTube – Micah Shrewsberry Post-Game Press Conference
https://youtu.be/PiBEwO_hfQM?si=nNx8kHDYjaKTBYte