JJ Starling led the way for Syracuse in its 17-point comeback win over Notre Dame.
The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team completed its 17-point comeback against Notre Dame on Saturday, winning by a final score of 77-69 from the JMA Wireless Dome. Once again it was JJ Starling who led the charge and took Syracuse home down the stretch. The junior guard finished with 21 points on 3-8 outside shooting.
It was an inauspicious start to the day for Starling against his former team, however. Early in the game with Starling commanding the point guard position, Notre Dame would hard hedge ball screens and double up top, forcing the ball out of his hands and pressure other Syracuse players to make plays. It was a similar approach to how Louisville guarded Starling on Tuesday night when he was held to a season-low 4 points on just 1-7 shooting with 6 turnovers.
“I was not myself on Tuesday. I feel like everybody knows that,” Starling said. “I know that. I made sure to work diligently this week watching film and picking up different reads.”
That same strategy was effective for Notre Dame as Starling got off to a slow start. Notre Dame doubled up on ball screens and he couldn’t get the looks he wanted. He missed his first five shots of the game.
About midway through the first half, Adrian Autry made a few key adjustments. He inserted Jaquan Carlos into the game and moved Starling off the ball. This allowed Starling to operate without being doubled on ball screens.
“When you talk about bringing in another ball-handler like J.C., a guy that can come in and again, not necessarily look to score but get people the ball and move the ball. We knew we had to have JJ score the basketball this year. Bottom line,” Autry said.
Out of a timeout, Autry went with Jim Boeheim’s classic “Double Fist” set with a double high ball screen at the top of the key with Starling used as a screener. The first and second option wasn’t there, but it ended with a Starling three out of the timeout as he was able to shake loose and go one-on-one against Matt Allocco.
“He can’t score it all at the point,” Autry said. “As you can see in the beginning of the game he couldn’t get anywhere, right? We tried to keep it in the middle of the floor, he had a lot of attention. So move him off the ball, let him come and get the ball and play that way.”
Still, it was an overall tough first half for Starling. He was limited to 5 points on 2-9 shooting. The intention from the coaching staff was to get Starling below to free throw line in the second half on the offensive end, simplifying his decision-making.
“Once we got it to halftime before we went he said, ‘We got this.’ He knew what he had to do. JJ is our leader. He’s starting to really understand that and see that. We have to have him aggressive no matter what. Sometimes his shots are going to be forced. We need him to take those shots.”
After that point Starling would go for 16 second half points. Late in the game he connected on his third three of the night to get Syracuse back to within two off of a feed from Carlos. The Orange trailed 62-60 with 5:45 remaining.
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On the next play Starling was fouled on a three point attempt by Markus Burton and calmly stepped to the line and made all three. Within crunch time and Syracuse still trailing by two, Starling drove left in the lane and finished a tough layup on Tae Davis to tie the game.
“JJ was at his best when JC came in and took the pressure off of JJ,” Kyle Cuffe said. “JJ’s a great player but when he’s off the ball it gives him a lot more energy to come off those screens and really play the game we all need him to play.”
Starling’s last field goal came with under three minutes to play when he drove from the righthand side, probed underneath the basket and put a floater from the lefthand side of the rim that found the bottom of the net. Syracuse led 69-65 at that point. It was the breathing room the Orange needed to close the game out from the free throw line.
Starling once again displayed the strength and mental toughness necessary to carry his team in clutch moments, an aspect that was sorely missed when Syracuse and Notre Dame squared off for the first time. Not to mention the other six games that Starling’s broken left wrist caused him to miss. To be reductive, Syracuse is 7-4 with Starling and 2-5 without him. He’s proved to be an invaluable presence to the Orange.
“We’re going to go as far as JJ (can take us),” Autry said.