Feb. 2, 2013
Box Score | Notre Dame at DePaul Box Score
ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) – Jack Cooley scored 26 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as Notre Dame beat DePaul 79-71 in overtime on Saturday inside Allstate Arena.
The senior posted his 14th double-double of the season and his fifth straight game with 10 or more boards as the Fighting Irish (18-4, 6-4 Big East) won for the fourth time in five games.
“Jack Cooley set the tone for us physically today,” Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey said. “We showed a lot of mental toughness today. It was a great college atmosphere and a great college game. We had to be mentally tough to get through that and we did.
“We did a great job of executing and getting good shots in overtime.”
All five DePaul starters reached double figures in points, but the Blue Demons suffered their sixth straight loss despite a gritty second-half comeback.
Eric Atkins scored the first five points of the extra period for Notre Dame and finished with 16 points. Atkins tallied seven of the team’s nine overtime points. Fellow junior Jerian Grant joined him in double-figures with 10 points on the day.
Brandon Young led the Blue Demons (10-11, 1-7) with 15 points. Cleveland Melvin added 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Postgame Notes
– Notre Dame improved to 18-4 overall and 6-3 in BIG EAST play this season … the Fighting Irish are 3-1 on the road (all league games) … the Irish have won their last three games … Notre Dame is 6-3 in BIG EAST play for the third straight season
– Today’s win moved Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey into a tie with former St. John’s head coach Lou Carnesecca for fourth place on the all-time BIG EAST wins list (both regular season and tournament) … Brey is 139-92 (.602) in BIG EAST play
– The Fighting Irish outscored DePaul 9-1 in overtime … junior point guard Eric Atkins scored seven points in overtime
– Notre Dame is 1-1 in overtime this season … the Irish are 7-2 in their last nine overtime contests … Notre Dame is 11-9 in overtime under head coach Mike Brey
– Today was the 103rd meeting all-time between Notre Dame and DePaul … the Fighting Irish have won the last eight meetings and lead the series 59-44 … the Irish are 9-2 against the Blue Demons since DePaul joined the BIG EAST in 2005 … Notre Dame is 21-30 all-time at DePaul … this was just the sixth time a Notre Dame-DePaul contest went to overtime … the Irish are 4-2 in those overtime games … Notre Dame will play host to DePaul on Feb. 13
– The Irish had just seven turnovers … Notre Dame has committed fewer than 10 turnovers in eight games this season (six times in BIG EAST play)
– Notre Dame was 21-for-32 from the free throw line … the Irish have made 20 or more free throws in a game three times this season
– Notre Dame led 39-30 at halftime … the Irish are 15-1 this season when leading at the intermission
– Eric Atkins (Jr./G), Pat Connaughton (So./G), Jack Cooley (Sr./F), Jerian Grant (Jr./G) and Tom Knight (Sr./F) started today’s contest … it was the third straight game – and third time overall this season – that quintet has started … the Irish are 3-0 with that starting lineup … Atkins, Connaughton and Cooley have started all 22 games this season, while Grant has 21 starts and Knight has started three games
– Notre Dame wore black jerseys for the third time this season … the Irish are 3-0 this season when wearing black and 13-12 all-time when donning black uniforms
– A three-pointer from Cameron Biedscheid in the first half upped Notre Dame’s streak of consecutive games with a made three-pointer to 464
Eric Atkins (Jr./G)
– Scored in double-figures (16 points) for the 15th time this season (seventh in BIG EAST play) … has reached double-figures 43 times in his career
– Was 2-for-2 from three-point range
– Had a game-high four steals
Jack Cooley (Sr./F)
– Posted his second straight double-double with 26 points and 16 rebounds … has a team-best 14 double-doubles this season (five in BIG EAST play) and 27 for his career
– The 26 points were a season-high total and one off his career-high mark … they were the most points for any Irish player this season … he has scored 20 or more points twice this season and eight times in his career – Scored in double-figures for a team-best 20th time this season (43rd time of career) … has reached double-figures in eight of nine BIG EAST games this season
– The 16 boards matched his season-high total that he also achieved Wednesday against Villanova … has grabbed 10 or more rebounds 15 times this season (five straight games) and 30 times in his career … has hauled down 15 or more rebounds in a game five times in his career
Jerian Grant (Jr./G)
– Scored in double-figures (10 points) for the fourth straight game and for the 18th time this season (44th time of career)