Feb. 15, 2012

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2011-12 Notre Dame Men’s Basketball
Notre Dame 71, Rutgers 53
February 15, 2012
Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center – Notre Dame, Ind.

Post-Game Notes

• Tonight was the 31st meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Rutgers. The Fighting Irish lead the series 18-13. Notre Dame has won seven of the last nine meetings with the Scarlet Knights. The Irish have won the last eight meetings that have taken place at Notre Dame.
• Tonight was Notre Dame’s seventh-straight victory. That matches the second-longest BIG EAST win streak in program history. The Irish als
• won seven-straight contests last season (Jan. 19, 2011-Feb. 12, 2011). Notre Dame’s most consecutive wins in BIG EAST play are eight from the 2000-01 campaign.
• Notre Dame is now 10-3 in BIG EAST play this season. The Fighting Irish have clinched a winning record in league play for the third straight season and for the 10th time during head coach Mike Brey’s 12 seasons at Notre Dame. This marks the third straight season that the Irish have won at least 10 league games. Notre Dame has won 10 or more BIG EAST contests eight times under Brey.
• Junior forward Jack Cooley produced his third straight double-double (ninth of the season) with a career-high tying 22 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. He is the first Notre Dame player t
• notch three consecutive double-doubles since Luke Harangody had three straight during the 2009-10 season (Cincinnati, Syracuse, DePaul).
• Jack Cooley became the first Notre Dame player t
• score 20-plus points in three straight BIG EAST games since Ben Hansbrough did s
• in five straight games last season.
• Eric Atkins (So./G), Pat Connaughton (Fr./G), Jack Cooley (Jr./F), Jerian Grant (So./G) and Scott Martin (Sr./G) started tonight’s contest. It was the seventh straight game – and seventh time overall this season – that quintet has started. The Irish are 7-0 with that starting lineup. Grant and Martin both have a team-high 25 starts this season.
• The Irish were 24-of-32 from the free throw line. That tied the most makes from the charity stripe for the Irish in a BIG EAST game this season. Notre Dame als
• made 24 free throws versus Seton Hall (Jan. 25).
• Notre Dame had an assist on 16 of its 20 made field goals.
• The Irish only committed nine turnovers. That marked the 10th time this season (fourth time in BIG EAST play) that Notre Dame has committed fewer than 10 turnovers in a game.
• Notre Dame led 33-28 at halftime. The Irish are 13-1 this season when leading at the intermission.
• Notre Dame outrebounded Rutgers 37-35. The Fighting Irish are 12-0 this season when out-rebounding their opponent.
• Notre Dame is 14-1 at home, 4-3 in true road games and 0-4 in neutral site contests this season.
• The Irish are 33-1 in their last 34 home games.
• A Jerian Grant three-pointer in the first half upped Notre Dame’s streak of consecutive games with a made three-pointer to 434.

Eric Atkins (So./G)

• Scored in double-figures (10 points) for the 17th time this season (ninth time in BIG EAST play)
• Dished out a BIG EAST career-high eight assists

Pat Connaughton (Fr./G-F)

• Scored in double-figures (10 points) for the sixth time this season (second time in BIG EAST play)

Jack Cooley (Jr./F)

• Posted his third straight double-double with a career-high tying 22 points and a career-high 18 rebounds … that is a personal-best double-double streak … he has a team-best nine double-doubles this season (seven in BIG EAST play)
• His previous rebound career-high was 17 from earlier this season versus Delaware State (Nov. 18)
• He has reached his career-high point total of 22 four times this season, including in each of the past tw
• contests … his other tw
• 22-point efforts came in back-to-back outings earlier this season (Maine and Dartmouth)
• Has scored 20-plus points in each of the past three games … that is a career-best streak … tonight was his team-best fifth 20-plus point effort of the season (and career)
• Has scored in double-figures 13 times this season (eight times in BIG EAST play)
• Tonight was his team-best 11th double-digit rebounding effort of the season (eighth in BIG EAST play)

Jerian Grant (So./G)

• Tallied 11 points … has scored in double-figures in seven straight games … that establishes a career-best streak
• Scored in double-figures for a team-best 21st time this season (11 times in BIG EAST play)
• Was 6-for-6 from the free throw line … he is 16-for-16 from the charity stripe in the past three games