Written by John Brice
The shooting, at least from distance by the home team Tuesday night, was as desolate as the still-frozen landscape outside Purcell Pavilion.
Each of Notre Dame’s first dozen 3-point attempts went begging; 17 of the Fighting Irish’s first 20 3s missed their mark.
Yet, Marcus Hammond was undaunted. JJ Starling didn’t allow a scoreless first half to define him.
And so with 26 combined points from their two new perimeter players, one a graduate transfer and one mere months into his collegiate career, the Fighting Irish overcame an opening first half that only a basketball sadist could love in a come-from-behind, 59-43 win.
Notre Dame’s eighth win, just its second victory in the month of December, allows a modicum of momentum as the Irish host Miami Friday as their schedule shifts full-time to Atlantic Coast Conference play.
The 26-point, 11-rebound combined performance from the veteran Hammond and rookie Starling allowed Notre Dame to pull away to victory despite just 17 total points from the trio of Cormac Ryan, Nate Laszewski and Trey Wertz.
“You know, it takes a lot (of pressure) off because we talked a lot this week about everybody doing their part,” Starling said of the shared workload. “To be able for me, I struggled offensively first half and just be able to get rebounds – it says I got eight; I don’t even remember getting eight – just being able to do that and help our bigs out is tremendous effort.
“I just want to make it easier for myself and my teammates.”
Little of this affair was easy for the Irish. Notre Dame shot nine-for-31 from the field in the first half, including just two of 16 from deep; Jacksonville (7-4) also mustered an 24-18 edge on the boards.
Still, Hammond scored nine points in that opening half in barely 11 minutes while the rest of the Irish managed just a dozen points. The Dolphins led by as many as seven in the frame, and they led by four with less than 14 minutes left in the game before the Irish fully asserted control.
Hammond finished with 15 points, three rebounds, three assists, didn’t commit a turnover and notched both a steal and a block in his plus-19, 24-minute outing.
“That was Marcus Hammond,” said Irish coach Mike Brey. “He’s a scorer. He’s a scorer. He’s really gifted. Coach Slo (Anthony Solomon) spent some time with him (Tuesday); I think he was thinking too much. He’s really gifted. Man, he’s played a lot of basketball and I’m thrilled for him. He deserved that.”
Hammond just wanted to lighten his teammates’ load.
“For me, I just want to help the guys when other people are having off nights,” he said. “Just stepping in.”
Brey likewise praised the evolving maturity of the heralded Starling, who closed with an 11-point, eight-rebound, three-assist outing despite being blanked in the first half.
“We lost both (games) last week, but I think JJ Starling is getting better,” Brey said. “And more comfortable, in a good rhythm.
“(Tuesday), he doesn’t make a shot in the first half and I think a lot of guys – not just young guys, old guys – may be out of it. He just keeps playing. He’s improved defensively. He’s moving the ball and playing. I’m excited about where he’s at. He has just been really good. To shake off a tough half and say, ‘I’m going to keep playing.’ When he can square his shoulders and we get some cutters and we move and he can turn a corner, we don’t have anybody like that. He’s the guy.”
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