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Syracuse University
NOTRE DAME
McNamara's Three Lifts 17/18 Syracuse to 82-80 Win Against 10/9 Notre Dame
2/15/2003 3:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Freshman #Gerry McNamara# connected on a three-point attempt with 20 seconds on the clock to lift 17/18 Syracuse to an 82-80 win against 10/9 Notre Dame, Saturday, Feb. 15, at the Carrier Dome. An NCAA season-high college basketball crowd of 32,116 saw the Orangemen (17-4, 8-3 BIG EAST) defeat the Fighting Irish (19-5, 7-3 BIG EAST) for their second home win against a top-10 opponent this season (2/2 Pittsburgh, Feb. 1, 67-65).
The Orangemen came back from a 10-point deficit with 8:57 left in the game to earn the victory. Freshman #Carmelo Anthony# scored 10 points down the stretch, including six from the foul line. At the 6:31 mark, McNamara drove the lane and connected on a jump shot that tied the game at 69. Syracuse would catch up to the Irish five more times down the stretch, as Matt Carroll single-handedly kept putting Notre Dame ahead, scoring 11 points in the final six minutes.
At 1:31, Anthony laid in a basket to give SU its first lead since the 15:18 mark of the half, 79-77. Carroll hit a trifecta with 30 seconds on the clock to give the Irish a one-point advantage, 80-79, and McNamara hit his game-winning three on the next possession. Notre Dame got the ball back and Carroll shot for the tie, but was rejected by junior #Jeremy McNeil#, his fourth block of the game. Sophomore #Hakim Warrick# came up with the ball and threw it toward the roof as the clock ran out.
Syracuse committed only four turnovers, its lowest single-game total since having four in a 1986 BIG EAST Tournament game against St. John's.
Anthony scored a game-high 26 points, eclipsing the 20-point mark for the fourth straight game. Anthony went 10-for-10 from the charity stripe, extending his consecutive free-throws made streak to 20. Warrick posted a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. McNamara finished with 17 points and six assists. With the victory, the Orangemen take sole possession of the lead in the BIG EAST's West Division.
Syracuse held the lead for most of the first half, building up a seven-point advantage midway through the session. The Irish scored six straight points to cut SU's lead to one, and Torin Francis made five-of-seven free-throws in the last eight minutes to keep Notre Dame within striking distance. Dan Miller hit a three-pointer as time expired to give the Irish a 38-37 edge at intermission.
The last time Syracuse defeated two top-10 teams at home in one season was during the 1993-94 campaign. The Orangemen beat No. 5 Connecticut, 108-95, on Feb. 1, then defeated No. 4 Kentucky, 93-85, on Feb. 12.
The crowd was the Dome's biggest since the 1991-92 season when a Feb. 23 game against Georgetown drew 32,996 fans. It marked the 55th time the Dome has had a crowd of over 30,000 at an SU game.
Syracuse continues its home stand on Tuesday, Feb. 18, when it hosts St. John's in a BIG EAST matchup at 7:00 p.m. at the Carrier Dome.
