CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – It was a slow start for the Irish in John Paul Jones Arena on Wednesday, as a superior offensive performance by No. 18/22 Virginia kept the Irish in check all afternoon. The Irish fell to the Cavaliers 80-68.
Four members of the Notre Dame team contributed double-digit points in the scoring column with Cormac Ryan scoring a season-high 16. Nate Laszewski, Juwan Durham and Trey Wertz also finished in double figures for the Irish.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Notre Dame struggled against Virginia’s defensive strategy, limiting the Irish to 1-of-13 beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes of play. Durham’s efforts led the Irish in the first half, recording 10 points and four rebounds but the Irish trailed 37-25 at the end of the half.
The Irish fought hard to cut into the deficit in the final 10 minutes of the game, coming within 10 points of the lead at 68-58 with five minutes to play but were unable to get any closer.
Despite not completing the comeback, the Irish were much better on the offensive end in the second half, scoring 43 points on 12-of-21 shooting from the floor and 15-of-16 from the free-throw line. Ryan scored all 16 of his points in the second stanza.
NOTES OF THE GAME
- The Irish made 19-of-20 (95 percent) free throws, marking the best performance from the stripe this season.
- Notre Dame committed a season-low eight fouls on Wednesday.
- The Irish recorded just seven turnovers, tying a season low.
- Ryan had a season-high 16 points
UP NEXT
Notre Dame will play Boston College on Saturday, Jan. 16th at 4 PM EST. Catch the action on the ACC Network.