Jan. 19, 2014

Recap | Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery

Notre Dame Men’s Basketball Postgame Notes
Notre Dame 70, Virginia Tech 63
January 19, 2014
Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center – Notre Dame, Ind.

– This was the fifth meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Virginia Tech and the first since a 74-63 Fighting Irish victory on Jan. 20, 2004, in Blacksburg, Va. … the Irish lead the series 3-1, including a 1-0 mark at Notre Dame … Virginia Tech’s only other game at Notre Dame occurred on Feb. 22, 2003 (a 98-76 Irish victory).

– Eric Atkins (Sr./G), Pat Connaughton (Jr./G), Demetrius Jackson (Fr./G), Austin Burgett (So./F) and Garrick Sherman (Sr./C) started tonight’s contest … this was Notre Dame’s seventh different starting lineup this season … the Irish have used a different starting five in each of the last three games … Atkins, Connaughton and Sherman have started all 18 games this season … Jackson has started the last 13 contests, while it was the second start of the season (and career) for Burgett.

– Notre Dame was 9-of-28 from three-point range … the nine treys were the most for the Irish in an ACC game.

– Notre Dame led 39-24 at halftime … the Irish are 9-1 this season when leading at the intermission.

– Virginia Tech’s 24 first-half points were the fewest Notre Dame has surrendered in any half of play in an ACC game.

– The Fighting Irish are 7-2 this season when wearing white uniforms.

– A three-pointer from Demetrius Jackson in the first half upped Notre Dame’s streak of consecutive games with a made three-pointer to 495.

– Former Fighting Irish head coach Digger Phelps was inducted into the Notre Dame Basketball Ring of Honor during halftime of tonight’s game … Phelps, who coached the Irish from 1971-91, is the sixth inductee into the Ring of Honor.

Eric Atkins (Sr./G) – Scored in double-figures (12 points) for the seventh straight game, which is a career-best streak … has reached double-figures 14 times this season and 63 times during his career.

Pat Connaughton (Jr./G-F) – Tied a season-high mark with a game-high 21 points (also scored 21 against Delaware and North Dakota State) … it was the seventh time of his career that he scored 20 or more points in a game, – Has reached double-figures in points in each of the last five games and 15 times overall this season (38 times during his career)

Demetrius Jackson (Fr./G) – Tied a career-high mark with 13 points … it was his fifth double-digit effort of the season (first in an ACC game). – Was 5-of-5 from the free throw line