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Syracuse’s recent stretch of games has been ugly. In the Beach Bracket Championship of the Emerald Coast Classic, SU was demolished by Creighton 86-59, surrendering 12 3-pointers in the first half.

Then, after convincingly beating Yale, the Orange traveled to Texas A&M for the SEC/ACC Challenge. Against the Aggies, SU put up its worst offensive performance yet.

It held the Aggies to just 57 points but scored a season-low 45, en route to a double-digit defeat. Georgia Woolley and Sophie Burrows shot a combined 3-for-26, stalling SU’s offense.

It doesn’t get any easier for Syracuse on Sunday. SU opens Atlantic Coast Conference play by hosting No. 10 Notre Dame, led by Preseason AP All-American Hannah Hidalgo.

Here’s everything to know about Notre Dame (6-2, 0-0 ACC) before its matchup with Syracuse (4-5, 0-0 ACC) on Sunday:

All time series

Notre Dame leads 39-6.

Last time they played …

Though the all-time series is lopsided in favor of the Fighting Irish, Syracuse got the upper hand last season. After SU upset Notre Dame at home in December, it traveled to South Bend on Jan. 25 looking for its first-ever road win versus ND. The Orange did just that, pulling out the victory 79-65.

Syracuse led by six at halftime but surrendered its advantage in the third quarter. Then, SU posted a dominant fourth quarter to pull away for good. Hidalgo paced the Fighting Irish with 23 points, but it wasn’t enough to top SU’s Dyaisha Fair and Alaina Rice, who combined for 44.

The Fighting Irish report

Simply put, Notre Dame is one of the best teams in the nation. The Fighting Irish were crowned ACC Champions last March and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament before being bounced by Oregon State. They were powered by Hidalgo, Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld, who all averaged over 14 points per game last campaign.

However, ND’s biggest weakness was its bench — no other player scored over nine. Luckily, it retained its top scorers from last season, plus snagged reinforcements. The Fighting Irish nabbed Pittsburgh transfer Liatu King and five-star freshman Kate Koval, while also getting Olivia Miles back from a torn ACL.

Westbeld has been injured to start the year, but Notre Dame’s additions have more than picked up the slack. Miles and King are both averaging over 13 points per game, providing help alongside Hidalgo and Citron.

Additionally, Notre Dame is an excellent rebounding team. It ranks fourth in the country in defensive rebounds (32.4) and seventh in total boards (45.8) per game. King and Koval have emerged as the team’s best rebounders, averaging 10.9 and 9.1, respectively.

The Fighting Irish have started the season 6-2, defeating then-No. 3 USC and No. 4 Texas. The Orange will have their hands full with ND’s high-powered offense and strength on the glass.

How Syracuse beats Notre Dame

Realistically, Syracuse will have a tough time winning this game. But if it wants any chance, SU needs to get production from its best shooters — Woolley and Burrows. Against Texas A&M, Burrows didn’t hit a single shot, while Woolley finished 3-of-17. In total, the Orange shot an abysmal 27.4%.

This isn’t a recipe for success, especially against a tougher opponent in Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are in the top 50 of nearly every major category — field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, rebounds, steals and blocks.

Both Burrows and Woolley have shown they can dominate this season. Woolley has notched over 16 points five times. Burrows, on the other hand, has sunk at least three triples in four contests. The Australian duo needs to be near perfect to compete with Notre Dame.

Stat to Know: 38.3%, 36.9%

Notre Dame has excelled in 3-point range this year. It’s drilled 38.3% of its attempts, ranking 19th in the nation. Miles and Hidalgo lead ND in this category, shooting over 40%. Off the bench, Cassandre Prosper and Emma Risch have been effective as well, making over 30% of their 3-pointers.

On the flip side, Syracuse has one of the country’s worst 3-point defenses. The Orange have allowed opponents to drill 36.9% of their triples. This puts them 334th of 353 Division I squads. This disparity will likely lead to The Fighting Irish attacking SU from deep.

Player to watch: Hannah Hidalgo, guard, No. 3

Hidalgo is by far Notre Dame’s best player. As a freshman last year, she averaged a team-leading 22.6 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 44.6% from the floor. The Merchantville, New Jersey, native was named the ACC Rookie of the Year and a First Team All-American.

This season, Hidalgo has picked up right where she left off. She’s increased her points average to 24.6 while still pulling down over six boards per game. Hidalgo exploded for 32 and 23 points against Syracuse last year, so she’s primed to have another big day against a weaker SU roster.

Published on December 7, 2024 at 11:52 am

Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu | @ Noahnuss99