Nov. 7, 2007
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Forwards Rob Kurz (Lower Gwynedd, Pa.) and Luke Harangody (Schererville, Ind.) both scored a game-high 15 points to propel Notre Dame to a 71-56 victory over St. Edward’s (Texas) in exhibition men’s basketball action at the Joyce Center on Wednesday night. The game was the second and final exhibition contest for the Fighting Irish before the regular season begins Monday (Nov. 12) against Long Island.
Kurz, a senior captain, chipped in a game-best nine rebounds, while the sophomore Harangody had eight boards. Guards Kyle McAlarney (Staten Island, N.Y.), a junior, and Tory Jackson (Saginaw, Mich.), a sophomore, also reached double figures for the Irish by posting 12 and 11 points, respectively. Junior guard Ryan Ayers (Blue Bell, Pa.) led Notre Dame with five assists.
Notre Dame jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, yet St. Edward’s would manage to hang around and not let the game get out of control. A McAlarney three-pointer with 1:07 remaining in the first half gave the Fighting Irish their first double-digit lead of the game at 36-25. The junior led the Irish with two treys on the night. The Irish carried a 38-28 lead into halftime.
St. Edward’s had three players in double-figures, with guard Jannick Zimmer leading the way with a 12-point performance. The Hilltoppers cut the deficit to four (43-39) on a Dian Ivanov three-pointer with 15:07 left in second half.
Notre Dame surged back with nine straight points to up the lead to 13 (52-39) with 12:41 remaining in the stanza. The closest St. Edward’s would get the rest of the way would be eight points midway through the second half. A 17-point advantage with under a minute left would mark the largest lead of the night for the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame held a 35-27 edge in rebounds. The Irish shot 48 percent from the field, while the Hilltoppers produced a 41 percent clip. Notre Dame made 6-of-16 three-pointers, while St. Edward’s went 5-for-22.
The Fighting Irish will host Long Island in the regular season opener on Monday, Nov. 12. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (ET) in the Joyce Center.
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