Donnie Freeman and Jyare Davis each scored 20 points for Syracuse (4-4, 0-1 ACC) on Saturday during a 69-64 defeat against Notre Dame (5-5, 1-0 ACC) at Purcell Pavilion. Freeman and Davis shot a combined 14-of-22 from the floor, with Freeman contributing 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. Despite this, the Fighting […]
Donnie Freeman and Jyare Davis each scored 20 points for Syracuse (4-4, 0-1 ACC) on Saturday during a 69-64 defeat against Notre Dame (5-5, 1-0 ACC) at Purcell Pavilion.
Freeman and Davis shot a combined 14-of-22 from the floor, with Freeman contributing 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. Despite this, the Fighting Irish triumphed in a back-and-forth second half that had eight lead changes after halftime. This marked the first ACC game for both squads.
How The Game Was Determined
Davis equalized the score at 60-60 by hitting a jump shot with 3:38 to go in the second half. On the following possession for the Fighting Irish, Braeden Shrewsberry sank a 3-pointer to establish a lead that they would hold onto for the remainder of the game. After Notre Dame added a free throw to extend their lead to four points, Elijah Moore made a long 2-point jumper, but Shrewsberry responded with another three to give the Fighting Irish a 67-62 advantage.
Moore countered with a layup on the opposite end, and after Shrewsberry missed an uncontested layup for Notre Dame, Davis drew a foul and attempted a one-and-one, missing the initial shot. Following a missed shot by Notre Dame, the Orange had a chance to either tie or take the lead, but Lucas Taylor failed to convert a challenging jumper with 17 seconds left, allowing Notre Dame’s Kebba Njie to rebound and draw a foul. Njie then converted one of two free throws, making it a two-score game. Davis missed a three-pointer with eight seconds on the clock, and the Irish secured the defensive rebound to clinch the victory.
Syracuse Takes Second-Half Leads
The Orange went 4-of-4 from the charity stripe at the start of the second half, narrowing the gap to two points, 32-30. After Notre Dame’s Matt Allocco made one of two free throws on the other end, Jaquan Carlos scored a layup to bring the lead down to one. Then, on their next possession, Freeman sank a layup to give Syracuse their first lead of the day, 34-33.
Shrewsberry responded with back-to-back three-pointers to put the Irish ahead by five, but the Orange retaliated with a run of 6-0, fueled by scores from Chris Bell, Carlos, and Davis to reclaim a one-point edge, 40-39. The Fighting Irish fought back to regain the lead before a jumper from Davis put Syracuse back on top, 47-45.
Syracuse gained another lead, 56-54, when Freeman dropped in a layup with just under seven minutes to play. As was the case on the previous three occasions when the Orange took the lead in the second half, Notre Dame answered promptly by hitting two free throws to tie the game again.
Davis Ignites Orange In First Half
With the Orange down 14-9 in the first half, Davis scored seven consecutive points for Syracuse, leveling the score. This run began with Davis making two free throws, followed by a layup to bring Syracuse within one. After Notre Dame responded with a layup, Davis hit a jumper while drawing a foul and converted the free throw to even the score at 16-16.
The Fighting Irish built a lead of seven points late in the first half, but the Orange managed to cut the Notre Dame lead down to four at halftime, 30-26.
Early Assists
Syracuse’s first four baskets of the contest were all assisted. Carlos located Eddie Lampkin Jr. for the Orange’s initial bucket, and Lampkin Jr. reciprocated by assisting Carlos for Syracuse’s second score. Lampkin Jr. then assisted Freeman for back-to-back scores to narrow Notre Dame’s early margin, 11-8.
Key Statistics
- Freeman, acknowledged as Co-ACC Rookie of the Week, reached 20 points for the second instance in his inaugural season. His four double-doubles this campaign lead the Orange.
- Davis’ 20 points marked the highest total for the senior this season since he netted 22 against Le Moyne in the season opener.
- Carlos achieved season highs in points (8) and assists (7), while also registering a team-leading two steals.
- The Orange recorded a total of 13 assists during the game.
- Syracuse went 0-9 from three-point range, marking the first time they failed to make a three-pointer in a game since Nov. 28, 2014, against Holy Cross.
- Shrewsberry was the leading scorer of the game with 25 points for the Fighting Irish, making six three-pointers.
Looking Ahead
The Orange will return home for a two-game homestand at the JMA Wireless Dome next week. Syracuse will host Albany on Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 before facing Georgetown for the 100th all-time meeting between the former Big East foes on Dec. 14 at 2:30 p.m. on ACC Network.
Tickets
Tickets for Syracuse men’s basketball can be purchased online (cuse.com/tickets), via phone (1-888-DOMETIX), and at the Dome Box Office (Gate B).
For comprehensive coverage of Syracuse men’s basketball, follow the team on X (@Cuse_MBB) and Instagram (@cuse_mbb).
