SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim is just like any coach — lose a couple of conference games and it’s time to start looking for those worry beads.
No need to search anymore.
C.J. Fair had 18 points and 10 rebounds, freshman Jerami Grant scored a season-high 14 points, and No. 9 Syracuse beat No. 25 Notre Dame 63-47 on Monday night to snap a two-game losing streak that had dropped the Orange three spots in the rankings.
“This was a big win," Boeheim said. “Obviously, Notre Dame beat us last year. When you lose two games in a row in this league, you get nervous. Everybody does. This is a real good bounce-back win."
Syracuse (19-3, 7-2 Big East), which was coming off consecutive road losses against Villanova and Pittsburgh, has only three conference losses in its past 32 Big East games and has won a school-record 36 straight games at home, the longest active streak in Division I. Notre Dame (18-5, 6-4) had won three straight.
It was the first meeting between the teams since the Irish handed Syracuse its only conference loss last season, 67-58 at Purcell Pavilion last January. The Orange, unbeaten at the time and ranked No. 1, were missing shot-blocking, 7-foot center Fab Melo in that game because of an academic issue, and on Monday night senior James Southerland, the team’s most consistent outside threat and third-leading scorer, missed his sixth straight game because of an eligibility matter related to academics.
Also on Monday:
No. 23 Pittsburgh 56
Seton Hall 46
PITTSBURGH — Lamar Patterson scored 12 points and Pittsburgh pulled away late from Seton Hall. Freshman center Steven Adams added eight points, 15 rebounds and two blocks for the Panthers (19-5, 7-4 Big East).
