Atkinson has 20 & 17, leads Notre Dame past Syracuse 79-69
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Paul Atkinson Jr. scored 20 points with a career-high 17 rebounds to lead Notre Dame to a 79-69 win over Syracuse. Atkinson made four free throws and Blake Wesley three in the final 63 seconds as the Irish scored the last seven points of the game while the Orange missed their last three shots and had a turnover after Cole Swider’s jumper made it 72-69 with 1:30 to go. Nate Laszewski scored 17 points for the Irish , who reached 20 wins for the 16th time in coach Mike Bey’s 20 seasons. Jimmy Boeheim, a graduate transfer from Cornell, led the Orange with a season-high 27 points and Buddy Boeheim added 20