SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Led by the late-game heroics of J.J. Starling, Syracuse (9-9, 3-4 ACC) overcame a 17-point first-half deficit to secure a thrilling 77-69 victory over Notre Dame (8-10, 2-5 ACC) at the JMA Wireless Dome Saturday.
The deficit was as many as 17 for @Cuse_MBB, but 16 second half points from J.J. Starling pushed SU past @NDmbb 77-69.@JLeonard1013 and @AndrewSelover had the call from the JMA Wireless Dome. pic.twitter.com/JlWjcars7u
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) January 18, 2025
Notre Dame came out firing, opening the game with an 11-0 run as Syracuse struggled to respond. Behind the play of Marcus Burton who scored 22 of his game-high 27 points in the first half, the Irish cruised to a 17-point advantage.
Syracuse, however, chipped away before halftime. A 9-2 run in the closing minutes, highlighted by a four-point play from Elijah Moore, cut the deficit to 42-33 at the break. The momentum carried into the second half, as the Orange stormed out with a 7-0 run to pull within two.
"We just grinded, we fought, to be able to pull out a win like that after missing 13 free throws. It's just a credit to all those guys," head coach Adrian Autry said.
Starling, who played his freshman season at Notre Dame, took control in the second half. The sophomore guard finished with 21 points, scoring seven in the final five minutes to lead Syracuse’s late-game surge. His driving layup with just over five minutes to go tied the score at 63, moments later, Eddie Lampkin Jr. converted his own miss to give the Orange their first lead, capping his fourth straight double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
“I thought JJ made some big shots when we needed him to make some big shots. That's what he needs to do, that’s what he has to do.” Autry said of Starling
Notre Dame’s shooting cooled in the second half, hitting just 27% of their three-pointers. This allowed Starling to take over. His clutch scoring in the closing minutes secured Syracuse’s largest comeback win of the season.
On his second-half performance, Starling remarked, “My teammates, my coaches just told me it was time to get going.”
Against his former team, @Cuse_MBB guard JJ Starling is making a statement. @AndrewSelover was on the mic for the Baldwinsville native's third triple of the night.
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) January 18, 2025
📻@waer883, https://t.co/BG0Q3sGXTn pic.twitter.com/Tut1ljp0Kg
Moore added 10 points for Syracuse, scoring for the first time in seven games and helping spark the first-half rally.
The Orange will aim to carry their momentum into Wednesday's ACC matchup at Clemson, as they look to climb the conference standings.