Syracuse vs. Notre Dame: Score and Twitter Reaction for Orange's Upset Win

Syracuse has had its share of struggles this season, but the Orange notched a huge ACC win on Tuesday, upsetting ninth-ranked Notre Dame, 65-60.

Fans had little to cheer about at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, looking on despondent as the Fighting Irish succumbed to Syracuse's suffocating defense.

ESPN Stats & Info highlighted just how out of sorts Notre Dame's normally explosive offense was in the opening 20 minutes:

Jesse Dougherty of The Daily Orange logged some of what winning coach Jim Boeheim had to say afterward, on an evening when the hosts shot 34.7 percent from the field and missed 19 of 22 three-pointers:

Despite putting the clamps down, Boeheim's visiting squad clung to a mere 27-22 lead at halftime. The scoring picked up after intermission, but Syracuse managed to keep pace, buoyed by B.J. Johnson's game-high 19 points.

Brian Hamilton of Sports Illustrated was bewildered by Johnson's sudden scoring eruption:

In addition to Johnson, a usual Syracuse suspect in Trevor Cooney helped the Orange put the ball in the bucket enough to stay out in front.

An off shooting night from beyond the arc (five misses in six attempts) didn't stop Cooney from netting nine straight Orange points between 5:31 and 1:44 remaining in the game, per ESPN.com.

Syracuse.com's Jameson Fleming praised Cooney's play down the stretch:

Notre Dame star guard Jerian Grant missed all six of his shots from beyond the arc, was just 2-of-9 shooting but did sink nine of 12 attempts from the charity stripe to score 13. Forward Bonzie Colson came off the bench to pour in 16 points for the Irish, but it wasn't enough.

Fox Sports' Matthew McClusky referenced the Orange's recent victories over Louisville and now the Irish in stating their case to punch a ticket for March Madness, you know, if they were actually eligible:

Two more tough opponents are on the horizon for the Orange. Their next contest is Saturday night on the road versus Duke, followed by a home date with the conference-leading Virginia Cavaliers.

This loss has to sting for Notre Dame, which had bounced back nicely with three straight wins after an embarrassing 30-point loss at Duke. The Irish have the luxury of a week-long layoff to go back to the drawing board and regroup, with their next game not until March 4 in Louisville.