NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Irish erased a 12-point halftime deficit in the second half and grabbed a lead late but No. 13/11 Louisville made enough plays in the final minutes to escape Purcell Pavilion with a 67-64 win.
Seniors John Mooney and T.J. Gibbs led the Irish on the offensive end, each pouring in 15 points. Sophomore Dane Goodwin added 14 points off the bench, 12 coming in the second half.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Notre Dame struggled out of the gate, falling behind 36-24 heading into halftime.
Notre Dame narrowed its deficit to 37-29 before going on a 6-0 run, finished off by Goodwin’s three, to shrink the deficit to 37-35 with 16:26 to go in the contest. Louisville responded and outscored the Fighting Irish the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 67-64. Notre Dame shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting eight shots from deep to score 24 of its 40 points.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Mooney turned in another magnificent performance in the paint, scoring 15 points and pulling down 19 rebounds for his 10th straight double-double. The 19 rebounds are a season high and just one shy of his career high.
STAT OF THE GAME
With 10 straight double-doubles, Mooney is just one shy of tying the program record for consecutive double-doubles. Mooney’s 10 are tied for second with Armand Reo and is one shy of tying Luke Harangody’s 11 straight.
NOTES
- Mooney recorded his 13th double-double in just 15 games that he has played in this season. The senior has now recorded a double-double in 10 straight games.
- Goodwin finished in double figures in the scoring column for the 10th time this season and 18th time in his career.
- Gibbs scored 10 or more points for the 13th time this season and 69th time in his career.
- With two blocks, Durham has recorded multiple blocks in 13 of 16 games this season.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Irish are back on the road, as the squad takes on Georgia Tech at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jan. 15. The game will air on ACCN and will also be available to stream via the WatchESPN app (subscription required).