NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame used a balanced scoring effort on the offensive end to win its home opener on Sunday evening inside Purcell Pavilion over Detroit Mercy by a final score of 78-70 to move to 1-1 on the season.
All five Irish starters figured in double figures for points in the victory. Prentiss Hubb led the team with 18 points followed by Nate Laszewski’s 16 point effort. Dane Goodwin added 15 on the evening and Cormac Ryan and Juwan Durham each chipped in 12 to deliver Notre Dame the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Irish opened up a six-point advantage following the opening 20 minutes of play, taking a 37-31 lead into the halftime intermission. A key stretch for the Irish came with seven minutes remaining in the first frame, as the Irish went on an 11-2 run over a four-minute stretch to take a 34-26 lead, the largest by either side in the half. Laszewski led the charge on the offensive end in the first half, scoring 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting.
Notre Dame came out and extended its lead to as many as nine just two minutes into the second stanza but the visitors hung around and chipped at the lead. The Titans managed to take their first lead of the second half with less than six minutes left, going on top 63-62. However, the Irish responded in a big way, ripping off a 12-0 run over the next five minutes to help seal the victory.
NOTRE DAME PLAYER OF THE GAME
Nate Laszewski recorded his first double-double of the season and second of his career with 16 points and a team-high 11 rebounds to lead the Irish. The forward was efficient on the evening from the floor, finishing 6-of-11, including a 3-for-4 effort from range.
NOTRE DAME STAT OF THE GAME
The Irish shot the ball well from distance in the win, knocking down 11-of-23 shots from beyond the arc for a three-point percentage of 47.8 percent. Hubb finished 4-0f-10 from three-point range while Laszewski was an efficient 3-for-4.
NOTES OF THE GAME
- The Irish improve to 21-0 in home openers during the Mike Brey era and 107-11 in program history.
- With the win, Notre Dame is now 43-12 against Detroit Mercy in the series and 21-4 when hosting the Titans.
- Notre Dame totaled 19 assists on its 30 made shots from the floor with Hubb pacing the team with eight.
- The Irish had two double-double performances (Laszewski – 16 points, 11 rebounds & Goodwin 15 points, 10 rebounds) for the first time this season and were just one rebound from Durham (12 points, 9 rebounds) away from their first game with three double-doubles in eight seasons.
- Goodwin’s double-double was the first of his career.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Irish have a quick turnaround, as they host Ohio State at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 8 in Purcell Pavilion as part of the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The game will air on ESPN2.