It took the Notre Dame Fighting Irish a while to get going, but once they did they rolled Rutgers 71-53 to avenge their earlier loss to the Scarlet Knights. In fact, the loss to Rutgers was the last time the red hot Irish lost a game. With tonight’s win Mike Brey’s club has now won seven straight games.
The last time these two teams played the Irish struggled to shoot the ball from behind the arc. Notre Dame also had its worst free throw performance of the season, hitting just 5-of-13 from the charity stripe. Tonight the Irish caught fire from behind the arc and dominated Rutgers at the line.
Notre Dame shot 43.8-percent from behind the arc and made 24 free throws en route to a second half blowout of Rutgers. Rutgers was called for 26 fouls on the night while the Irish were called for just 13 fouls.
The Irish were cold early on, at least from inside the three-point line. Notre Dame did not hit a two-point basket until a Jack Cooley layup with 6:09 left in the first half. Notre Dame scored its first five points from the free throw line before guard Jerian Grant got the Irish rolling from deep with a triple.
Sophomore guards Eric Atkins and Alex Dragicevich nailed back-to-back triples to give the Irish a big early lead at 14-3. Rutgers freshman guard Eli Carter scored four straight points to cut into the Notre Dame lead, but the Irish again pulled away from behind the arc and at the stripe. Cooley knocked down three free throws and freshman Pat Connaughton nailed a three-pointer as he was fouled. He made the free throw to give the Irish a 21-11 lead.
Trailing 25-15 with just five minutes to go in the first half Rutgers made a charge to get back into the game. A Carter triple followed back-to-back makes by Dane Miller and Derrick Randall. 5-foot-9 freshman guard Myles Mack hit a deuce brought the Knights with one at 25-24. In just under two minutes the Knights had virtually erased a double digit Notre Dame lead.
Connaughton drilled two triples in a row with under two minutes in the half but Miller answered both times. Notre Dame limped into the half with just a 33-28 lead thanks to a poor first half shooting performance that saw the Irish shoot just 29-percent from the field.
Rutgers tried to make a game of it early in the second half, but the Irish were having none of it. To be specific, junior forward Jack Cooley was having none of it. Cooley scored nine of Notre Dame’s first 11 second half points as the Irish built a 44-34 lead. Eric Atkins hit a layup and was fouled heading into the second official timeout of the second half. When play resumed he nailed the free throw to push the Irish lead to 49-36.
The Fighting Irish smelled blood and went for the kill, burying the Scarlet Knights down the stretch.
Dragicevich scored five quick points, which he sandwiched around two Atkins free throws, to put Notre Dame up 16. That is when Cooley put the game completely out of reach, scoring eight consecutive Irish points to give Notre Dame a 68-47 lead.
Cooley had another big night for Notre Dame, scoring 22 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. It was his third straight double-double and third consecutive game with at least 20 points. The junior has shot 73.5-percent from the field during that stretch.
Grant chipped in 11 points and three boards while Atkins has a solid all-around night with 10 points and eight assists. Atkins struggled from the field, shooting just 2-of-9, but he was 5-of-7 from the free throw line and played solid defense all night long. Connaughton added 10 points for the Irish and Dragicevich had eight clutch points.
Rutgers had just two players in double figures and shot just 39.3-percent from the field. Miller led the Knights with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Carter chipped in 10 points.
Rutgers drops to 12-14 on the season and 4-9 in the Big East. They return home on Sunday to take on No. 2 Syracuse.
Notre Dame won its first game since joining the Top 25, improving to 18-8 on the season. The Irish are now 10-3 in league play and are tied with Marquette for second place. Notre Dame has won seven straight games since its last loss to Rutgers. The Irish travel to Philadelphia for a Saturday evening contest against Villanova.
The Irish next play at home next Wednesday, Feb. 22 to take on West Virginia.
