It’s been more than two weeks since Syracuse won a game. Notre Dame hasn’t fared much better.
The Orange look to avoid a fifth straight defeat when they host the Fighting Irish, who have one win this month, on Saturday night in ACC play.
After losing to Clemson in its ACC opener, Syracuse (12-9, 3-5) rattled off three straight wins from Jan. 6-13. However, the Orange are winless in four games since, and coming off an 88-68 drubbing at North Carolina State on Tuesday.
They shot just 38.8%, were outrebounded 45-33 and allowed the Wolfpack to make 50.8% of their shots.
“(NC State) capitalized on every (one of our mistakes),” Syracuse coach Adrian Autry said.
“We keep fighting. Get back, watching film, only trying to get better and get prepared for the next game.”
Syracuse is 13-of-45 from 3-point range over the last two games. At the other end of the court, the Orange have allowed their last three foes to shoot a combined 52.4% from the floor.
Syracuse’s Donnie Freeman (19.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg) had 24 points with 10 rebounds Tuesday. He scored 20 with 11 rebounds during the Orange’s 69-64 loss at Notre Dame last season.
Teammate JJ Starling (11.5 ppg), who began his career at Notre Dame, did not play in that contest, but scored 21 during the Orange’s 77-69 home win over the Irish later that season.
Notre Dame (11-10, 2-6), which has dropped four straight at Syracuse, is just 1-6 this month.
However, the Irish showed fight during Tuesday’s 100-97 double-overtime home loss to No. 17 Virginia. Cole Certa had a career-high 34 points, while Jalen Haralson and Braeden Shrewsberry combined for another 38, but the Irish blew a 19-point first-half lead and could not hold a six-point edge in the final two minutes of regulation.
“Not into moral victories, but we are about the process,” Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsberry said.
“These dudes keep coming, keep fighting, keep competing and try to play their best basketball as the season goes on.”
With Irish star Markus Burton still injured, freshman Haralson is averaging 15 points on 49.1 percent shooting. Meanwhile, Braeden Shrewsberry has totaled 40 points in the last two games, and averaged 19.0 on 14-of-24 shooting from deep in three games all-time versus Syracuse.
