SOUTH BEND, Ind. – There was nothing philosophical or theoretical that prompted head coach Jim Boeheim’s blunt admission Monday. Its simplicity, in fact, was what caused the 34-year veteran to crack a wry smile.

‘If you have a good team, you can win on the road,’ Boeheim said. ‘Good teams win on the road. You know, we’ve been a good road team, we’ve played a bunch of games on the road this year, and we’re playing well.’

With a sturdy 84-71 victory over Notre Dame (14-5, 3-3 Big East) at the Joyce Center, No. 5 Syracuse (18-1, 5-1 Big East) was able to rattle off its third consecutive Big East road victory in front of a boisterous 9,149 packed inside the newly remodeled arena. It was the first time the Orange has rattled off that many consecutive in-conference away wins since 1984. The Orange also defeated Rutgers and No. 11 West Virginia during its six-day road trip.

‘Any win on the road in the Big East is a big win,’ shooting guard Andy Rautins said. ‘And for us to come out 3-0 and have some pretty convincing victories, I think that’s good for our confidence going into our home stretch.’

Maintaining poise against the emotionally charged Irish showed that this year’s Syracuse squad may be different from last year’s Sweet 16 team. In 2008-09, many of SU’s signature losses were away from the comfort of the Carrier Dome. Raucous opposing student sections and unfamiliar situations led to errant passes, breakdowns in the zone and untimely fouls. Games that should have been wins slipped away.

This season, though, the story is more like what happened with a little more than nine minutes to play in the second half Monday. An SU lead as large as 11 had collapsed to two as ND point guard Tory Jackson sunk his second free throw. Syracuse was shooting itself in the foot, committing a foul, two turnovers and missing three shots in a span of just two minutes.

Instead of folding to the deafening noise, the bad breaks and the hot lights of national television cameras, Syracuse regrouped.

Arinze Onuaku – normally abysmal from the free-throw line – buckled down and hit two straight. Kris Joseph – known more for his signature drives – pulled up and hit a safe jumper. Then, Rautins chipped in two more free throws.

Crisis averted. A bothersome situation was now a resolute eight-point advantage.

‘I think it speaks a lot about us,’ forward Wes Johnson said. ‘It shows what kind of team we really are.’

But the Irish didn’t give up then, opting to continue Syracuse’s road test into the waning minutes of the game.

A flagrant foul on Rautins, who finished with 21 points, had allowed Notre Dame to sneak back into contention. The lead again collapsed in striking range when Tim Abromaitis knocked down one of his five 3s of the night.

The teams retreated to their respective benches during a media timeout, and it looked as though this could be the breaking point. Signs of fatigue and frustration were evident.

Like the last episode, though, a calmer, more mature SU team emerged. Johnson found himself on the line and hit a clutch free throw. Rautins, on the following possession, whizzed a brilliant pass overhead to Onuaku for a demolishing slam. This time, the Irish couldn’t come back. Fans began to file out of the Joyce Center as Boeheim bobbed his head in approval.

Now, he had a conundrum on his hands. The grueling conference schedule he originally saw as a punishment was doing more for this team’s confidence than any other type of win heading into a comfortable homestead.

‘League didn’t do us any favors, four out of the first six on the road,’ Boeheim said. ‘I guess we have to speak to the commissioner or something like that. When you win them, though, it feels pretty good.’

ctorr@syr.edu

Published on January 18, 2010 at 12:00 pm