Irish Come Up Short Against #17/16 NC State, 77-73

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame (11-7, 1-4 ACC) held NC State (15-3, 3-2 ACC) close in their matchup Saturday afternoon but ultimately came up short, losing 77-73.

Junior John Mooney and freshman Dane Goodwin led the Irish in scoring with 19 points each, while junior T.J. Gibbs added 13 points and five assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Irish kept it close throughout the first half against NC State, with the halftime score at 37-35 in favor of the Wolfpack. Notre Dame finished the half strong with a 10-4 run, which was highlighted by a deep stepback three from junior Gibbs with 0:56 left in the half.

The second half saw the Irish cut the Wolfpack lead to just one with 13:03 remaining in regulation. Although the Irish did not allow NC State to pull away, they were unable to close the gap in the closing minutes of the game, allowing the Wolfpack come away with the 77-73 road victory.

NOTRE DAME PLAYER OF THE GAME
Goodwin caught fire in the second half, where he scored 17 of his 19 points, which matched his career high. His best stretch of the night saw him score nine points in two minutes and 21 seconds of game time, including a huge corner three that brought the Irish within one point of NC State midway through the second half. The freshman finished 7-of-10 from the floor, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc.

NOTRE DAME STAT OF THE GAME
Mooney grabbed his ACC-best 10th double-double of the season, scoring 19 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. This brings his total rebounds per game up to 10.7 RPG, which leads the ACC. The junior has recorded a double-double in four straight games and has combined to pull down 35 rebounds over his last two games.

NOTES OF THE GAME

  • For the ninth time this season the Irish finished less than 10 turnovers in a game, posting just nine against NC State..
  • Gibbs turned in his 14th double-digit scoring performance of the season, finishing with 13 points against the Wolfpack.
  • After scoring 17 of his 19 points in the second stanza, Goodwin recorded 10 or more points in a game for the fifth time this season.
  • Mooney produced his team and ACC-best 10th double-double of the season with 19 points and 16 rebounds. The junior now has 11 in his career.
  • With 10 points, Harvey turned in his 12th double-digit scoring performance of the season and 16th of his career.
  • Freshman forward Chris Doherty made his Notre Dame debut against the Wolfpack.

UP NEXT
Notre Dame is back on the road for a conference tilt against Georgia Tech Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Jan. 22. The game will air on Raycom.

To purchase tickets Notre Dame men’s basketball tickets visit UND.com/BuyTickets.

— ND —