After dropping both split-ACC contests this season in the opener at North Carolina and the early December home affair with Boston College, Notre Dame needed an ACC win in the worst way possible.
Factor in the Irish had won just three of their previous 21 regular season conference games dating back to March of 2018 and the need for a win was only that more obvious.
Thanks to shooting 15 of 31 beyond the arc (48.4%) the Irish were able to get by Syracuse for the third straight time in the Carrier Dome, 88-87.
Notre Dame had been shooting just 33.8% from three-point range entering Saturday so it was pleasant change of pace for the now 10-4 overall and 1-2 in ACC-play, Fighting Irish.
12 of those 15 three’s came from Prentiss Hubb and TJ Gibbs who had six each and combined for 43 points. John Mooney did his standard double-double thing, scoring 28 while pulling down 14 rebounds.
Leading 70-69 with just over five minutes left Hubb had a bad moment, bumping into Joe Girard and getting hit with a technical foul.
Girard would then score the next ten Syracuse points starting with the two free-throws for the technical and the Orange took a 79-75 lead with 3:37 to go.
Juwan Durham has a put-back before a pair of free-throws by Hubb brought the Irish within an 82-81 deficit with 1:51 to go.
Hubb would go on to hit a game-tying three to knot things up at 84 before he hit a pair of free throws that ultimately made the final 88-87 difference.
Notre Dame improves to 10-4 on the year and 1-2 in ACC play while Syracuse falls to 1-2 in the ACC and saw their three game winning streak end.
Notre Dame returns to action Wednesday night when they’ll take on the Wolfpack of North Carolina State in Raleigh.