SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Jesse Edwards and Joe Girard combined for 42 points and Syracuse beat Notre Dame 62-61 in an Atlantic Coast Conference opener on Saturday to snap a three-game losing streak.
Judah Mintz scored on a baseline drive to give the Orange (4-4) the lead with 13.3 seconds remaining. Syracuse had three fouls to give and used them to cut the clock to 7.1 before Dane Goodwin missed a well-defended 3-point jumper at the buzzer.
The Orange fed Edwards inside as he finished 10-of-15 shooting with 22 points and 14 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Girard, who averages double figures but had only nine points in his last three games, including zero in a 73-44 loss in Syracuse’s previous contest, was 9 of 18 with 20 points, though only 2 of 10 from beyond the arc.
The Orange shot 48%, making only 3 of 18 3-point attempts, but outscored the Fighting Irish 34-18 in the paint and was plus-7 on points off turnovers.
The Fighting Irish (6-2), coming off a 70-52 win over No. 20 Michigan State, shot just 38%, well below their season average of 49%, though they made 11 of 33 from beyond the arc. Goodwin scored 16 points with nine rebounds, Cormac Ryan had 14 points and Ven-Allen Lubin had 10 points and eight rebounds. Nate Laszewski, who came in as the team’s leading scorer at 16.9 points per game, had just two points on 1-of-6 shooting.
Neither team led by more than five points in a game with 12 lead changes and 12 ties. It was 35-all at halftime.
PHOTOS: Edwards, Girard lead Syracuse over Notre Dame 62-61
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