Notre Dame basketball: 3 takeaways from the 79-69 win over Syracuse
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame basketball team took care of business on Wednesday night, beating the Syracuse Orange 79-69 inside Purcell Pavilion.
Coming off a loss against Wake Forest this past weekend, and an overtime win against Boston College the game before, the Notre Dame basketball team needed to make a statement at home against Syracuse Wednesday night. Playing a team they were favored against, the Irish looked to get back on track, and they did so in a big way in front of the home crowd, beating the Orange 79-69.
Here, we look at three takeaways from the victory over the Orange.
Notre Dame basketball: 3 takeaways from the 79-69 win over Syracuse
No. 1: Prentiss Hubb once again money in the clutch
In what has been a theme throughout his career, when the Irish needed a clutch bucket late in this game, Prentiss Hubb was able to step up and bury a three-point shot to give them a five-point lead. That bucket came after the Orange went on a 6-0 run to close the lead to two points, prompting a Notre Dame timeout.
After the timeout, Hubb hit his three, and the Irish would cruise from there.
No. 2: Big fellas got it done
Paul Atkinson Jr. continues to dominate in the second half of the season, and against Syracuse, he certainly made his presence felt. The transfer from Yale racked up 20 points and 17 rebounds, proving to be the kind of post presence this team is going to need if they hope to make a real run through the NCAA Tournament.
Of his 17 rebounds, eight came on the offensive end, and he was also money from the free-throw line, going 10-of-12.
No. 3: Crucial victory down the stretch
The Irish came off a loss in this one and faced a four-game stretch that would make or break their season. Notre Dame basketball needs to win out to secure a good seed in the NCAA Tournament, and beating the Orange by ten will go a long way in them getting the confidence they need to close out the regular season.
This is a victory that gave the Irish their 20th win of the season, and that could lock them into a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The key will be closing the season strong, much like they did in the second half of this one, as a legitimate single-digit seed is certainly on the horizon, as well as a possible regular-season ACC title.