 Irish stun Syracuse |
SOUTH BEND — He raised the stakes earlier in the week with a bold
prediction, so when the final seconds drained down Saturday on Notre
Dame's first victory over a top-ranked team in nearly 25 years, Jerian
Grant raised his left arm, pumped his fist and smiled.
Grant insisted in the hours after Monday's loss at Rutgers that the
Irish would “shock the world” in front of a national television
audience and a sold-out Purcell Pavilion when top-ranked and
undefeated Syracuse visited.
Consider said world shocked.
The Irish started with a lightning strike of sizzling shooting, led by
as many as 18 points and never trailed. When it was over, and frenzied
fans had spilled out of the west stands, another chapter in Notre
Dame's storied history of wins over No. 1 teams had been written with
a 67-58 victory.
“It's definitely a great feeling,” said Grant. “Nobody's ever been in
something like this. Everybody's going to remember it for the rest of
their lives.”
The final buzzer ignited a celebration that the building hasn't seen
in decades. Students raised players on their shoulders. Freshman Pat
Connaughton, who started and delivered a big effort (7 points, 7
rebounds), somehow found one of his best buddies almost immediately
for an embrace. Scott Martin, who connected on two critical 3-pointers
in the second half, skirted the periphery while clapping and offering
strangers high-fives.
“An unbelievable moment,” Connaughton said.
Even after 40 minutes that featured a whole bunch of the best
basketball the Irish have played this season, even after the students
had stormed the court and left a mess of green feathers, crepe paper
and shredded newspaper, even after the bedlam had been silenced, it
all still didn't seem real to the guys who had delivered the biggest
victory of the Mike Brey era.
“I'm thinking this might be a dream right now,” said junior Tom
Knight, who had two big baskets and two rebounds in seven minutes.
“There are no words for it.”
Saturday marked the seventh time since 1968 that Notre Dame (12-8, 4-3
Big East) has beaten a No. 1 team in South Bend. It was the first time
since Feb. 1, 1987 that Notre Dame played host to, and then
subsequently beat, the nation's top team. On Friday, Brey showed his
team a video of the previous magical moments for Notre Dame against
top teams. The 1974 victory over UCLA. The wins over DePaul, Marquette
and San Francisco. He also added clips of the current guys playing
really well in big moments.
Saturday, it was time for the Irish to have their moment. They didn't
enter the contest hoping to win. They believed this one was theirs for
the taking. And then they took it.
“If I've learned one thing in this game, it's never count yourself
out,” said Martin. “Anybody can win on any given night in college
basketball. That's just the nature of the beast.
“Thankfully, it was us tonight.”
A season that seemingly looked headed south earlier in the week
instead had been rocketed into another stratosphere Saturday around
8:30 p.m. for an Irish team that ran their burn offense to
near-perfection while also making plenty of big stops — who knew? — at
big moments.
Irish fans may have hoped their team would play well enough to have a
chance to win. For the players, there was only one way out of the
building — with a win.
“We had to,” said sophomore guard Eric Atkins. “We couldn't have lost
three straight. In this league, getting ourselves in that type of a
hole, it's hard to come out of.
“It was now or never.”
And it was now almost from the opening tip.
The Irish attacked the Orange 2-3 zone right from the first
possession, which ended with a Connaughton 3 in the corner. Less than
three minutes in, the home team led by nine points. Less than seven
minutes in, the advantage was 11. And when Grant connected on yet
another 3, the Irish had doubled the score (28-14).
Having a chance against a Syracuse team loaded with NBA-type talent
would be possible only if Notre Dame got off to a good start. The
Irish then shot 54.5 percent from the floor, 60 percent from 3 in the
first half.
The quick start and a consistent effort in the low post from Jack
Cooley (17 points, 10 rebounds), kept the Irish believing when the
Orange looked ready to wrestle this one away in the second half.
Syracuse twice got its deficit under double digits in the final five
minutes, but Notre Dame simply wouldn't let it get any closer.
The Irish won it by flipping the script. Instead of struggling to make
shots, as has long been the case in league play this season, Notre
Dame made them. It was Syracuse that couldn't shoot it straight. The
Orange (20-1, 7-1) shot 34 percent from the floor, 30.4 percent from
3.
“It was just one of those games,” said guard Scoop Jardine, who missed
all five of his shots from the field. “We did not see the ball go in
for us, and it's hard to play well when you are not making shots.”
The Irish made plays when needed, made shots when needed, and never
stopped believing in a building that had seen their 29-game win streak
snapped the previous Saturday.
A Grant layin bumped the Irish lead back to 17 with just under 13
minutes remaining only to have the Orange run off seven straight,
keyed by a Kris Joseph wing 3, to get within 10 (50-40) with under
eight minutes left. Notre Dame again labored 7:23 without a hoop
following the Grant basket.
The Irish finally scored on a Cooley two-hand dunk with 5:11
remaining, which followed one of the most bizarre baskets fans will
ever see.
Looking to break pressure, Grant tried to pass the ball across court
to Martin, but tried to do it by throwing it over the rim of the
Syracuse basket. The ball then went in the basket. Two points for the
Orange and a 50-42 Irish lead.
“They're athletic and long and tipped the ball and it went in,” Grant
said. “That was crazy.”
SYRACUSE (20-1): Rakeem Christmas 1-2 0-0 2, CJ Fair 1-3 4-6 6, Scoop
Jardine 0-5 2-4 2, Brandon Triche 2-6 1-1 6, Kris Joseph 4-12 3-4 12,
Dion Waiters 4-14 1-2 11, Baye Keita 1-1 0-0 2, James Southerland 5-10
2-2 15. Totals 18-53 13-19 58.
NOTRE DAME (12-8): Eric Atkins 2-6 0-0 5, Pat Connaughton 2-3 1-2 7,
Scott Martin 5-8 1-2 13, Jerian Grant 2-5 6-6 11, Jack Cooley 5-8 7-10
17, Tom Knight 2-4 0-0 4, Joey Brooks 0-1 1-2 1, Alex Dragicevich 2-5
3-5 9. Totals 20-40 19-27 67.
Halftime — Notre Dame 35-23. 3-Point Goals — Syracuse 7-23
(Southerland 3-7, Waiters 2-6, Triche 1-2, Joseph 1-5, Fair 0-1,
Jardine 0-2), Notre Dame 8-16 (Martin 2-2, Connaughton 2-3,
Dragicevich 2-4, Grant 1-3, Atkins 1-4). Fouled Out — Atkins,
Southerland. Rebounds — Syracuse 25 (Joseph 5), Notre Dame 38 (Cooley
10). Assists — Syracuse 13 (Jardine 7), Notre Dame 17 (Grant 6). Total
Fouls — Syracuse 21, Notre Dame 14. A — 9,149.
Staff writer Tom Noie: