Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Irish Open Preseason With 97-57 Win Over Holy Cross College

Oct. 20, 2017

Notre Dame Holy Cross College Exhibition Box Score

By Robby Hamman

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Irish unofficially got the 2017-18 season underway on Friday evening, as the Irish comfortably defeated Holy Cross College by a final score of 97-57 in the first of three exhibitions. Five players finished in double figures for Notre Dame, as Martinas Geben led the way with 20 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Irish held a 9-6 advantage in the early stages of the first half and then blew the game wide open, rattling off 21 straight points to take a commanding 30-6 lead with seven minutes to play. Notre Dame continued to increase its advantage, as the squad led by 30 points at the half with the score 49-19. Farrell led all scorers at the break with 11 points.

The scoreboard was reset to 0-0 coming out of the halftime intermission for the second stanza. Notre Dame continued its offensive onslaught in the final 20 minutes, pouring in 48 points to total 97 for the evening. Rex Pflueger (13), Geben (11) and Nikola Djogo (10) each scored 10+ points in the second half.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Geben was a beast underneath for the Irish on Friday, posting a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Geben’s 20 points led the Irish in scoring and the senior finished an impressive 7-of-8 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.

NOTRE DAME STAT OF THE GAME

The Irish shot 56.7 percent from the field against the Saints (34-of-60) en route to the 97-point effort. Picking up where it left off last year, Notre Dame also excelled from the charity stripe finishing 26-for-32 to shoot 81.3 percent for the evening.

NOTES OF THE GAME

  • With the win the Irish are 35-0 in exhibitions under Brey.
  • Five players finished in double figures against Holy Cross.
  • Pflueger filled up the stat sheet, scoring 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while also adding 18 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks.
  • The Irish outrebounded the Saints 47-25.
  • Bonzie Colson recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds..
  • Matt Farrell and Djogo each finished with 15 points apiece in the winning effort.

UP NEXT

Notre Dame is back in action in Purcell Pavilion at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3 as it welcomes Bethel College for the second of three exhibitions on the preseason schedule. Notre Dame’s first official game of the season is on Saturday, Nov. 11, as the Irish travel to Chicago to take on DePaul at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast on FS1.

— ND —

Robby Hamman joined Fighting Irish Media as athletics communications assistant director in September 2016, coordinating efforts for the volleyball and men’s lacrosse program. Hamman is a 2010 graduate of Bethel College, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in sport management and business administration, and earned his master’s degree in business administration from Defiance College in 2013.