Paul Atkinson Jr. registered 20 points and a career-high 17 rebounds to propel Notre Dame over visiting Syracuse 79-69 on Wednesday evening in South Bend, Ind.
Nate Laszewski contributed 17 points and Cormac Ryan had 16 for the Fighting Irish (20-8, 13-4 ACC), who kept pace with first-place Duke (24-4, 14-3) in the ACC standings. Notre Dame remains one game behind the Blue Devils with three regular-season games to play.
The Orange (15-13, 9-8), meanwhile, are looking like they will not even be part of the NCAA Tournament bubble conversation. Syracuse had won six of seven coming in, but the visitors were unable to overcome 6-of-23 3-point shooting and a 41-28 rebounding disadvantage.
Jimmy Boeheim had 27 points to pace the Orange, while his brother Buddy Boeheim chipped in 20.
Syracuse went on a 9-0 run early in the second half to turn a seven-point deficit into a 47-45 advantage. However, Cormac’s 3-pointer flipped the scoreboard back in Notre Dame’s favor and began a 15-1 run by the hosts.
Cormac added two free throws and a jumper during the surge, and Laszewski later hit a 3-pointer to create a double-digit cushion. But the Orange responded with a 15-5 push to get within 65-63 with about four minutes to go.
The Irish answered with a 3-pointer from Prentiss Hubb and a layup by Blake Wesley to expand the cushion to 70-63.
Syracuse got its deficit to three points on two occasions down the stretch, but Notre Dame made enough free throws — including 4 of 4 from Atkinson in the final 63 seconds — to clinch the victory.
The first half ended with Notre Dame holding a 42-38 lead behind Atkinson’s 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Boeheim brothers combined for 28 first-half points for the Orange, who shot 50 percent in the half but were outrebounded 23-10.
Neither team led by more than four during the opening 20 minutes. Laszewski’s 3-pointer with half a minute to play sent the Irish into the locker room with a four-point cushion.
–Field Level Media
