Jan. 8, 2014

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Notre Dame Men’s Basketball Postgame Notes
North Carolina State 77, Notre Dame 70
January 7, 2014
Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center – Notre Dame, Ind.

– This was the eighth meeting all-time between Notre Dame and North Carolina State and the first since a 61-48 Wolfpack victory on Nov. 26, 2005, in Indianapolis … the series is tied 4-4 … this was North Carolina State’s first visit to Notre Dame since Feb. 13, 1982.

– Notre Dame fell to 9-3 at home this season … this is the first time Notre Dame has lost three home games in a single season since the 2009-10 campaign … the Irish had a 17-3 home record that season.

– Notre Dame trailed 39-36 at halftime … the Irish are 2-5 this season when trailing at the intermission.

– Eric Atkins (Sr./G), Pat Connaughton (Jr./G), Demetrius Jackson (Fr./G), Zach Auguste (So./F) and Garrick Sherman (Sr./C) started tonight’s contest … it was the second straight game and the second time overall this season that quintet has started … the Irish are 1-1 with this starting lineup … Atkins, Connaughton and Sherman have started all 15 games this season … Jackson has started 10 games, while it was the second start for Auguste.

– The Fighting Irish are 4-2 this season when wearing gold uniforms.

– A three-pointer from Pat Connaughton in the first half upped Notre Dame’s streak of consecutive games with a made three-pointer to 492.

Eric Atkins (Sr./G)
– Scored in double-figures (14 points) for the fourth straight game and for the 11th time this season … has reached double-figures 60 times during his career.

Pat Connaughton (Jr./G-F)
– Scored in double-figures (15 points) for the second straight game and the 12th time this season (35th time of his career). – Was 5-of-11 from three-point range … the five treys matched a season-high total.

Garrick Sherman (Sr./C)
– Recorded his team-best fourth double-double of the season with 21 points and a career-high 18 rebounds … all four double-doubles have occurred in the last seven games. – The 18 rebounds were the most for the Irish since Jack Cooley had 18 versus Rutgers on Feb. 15, 2012. – Netted 20-plus points for the second time this season and the third time of his career. – The 21 points upped his career-best double-figure scoring streak to 12 games, which is the longest streak for the Irish this season … has scored in double-figures in 13 games this season and 23 times in his career (22 at Notre Dame).