'Dons Edged Out by 22nd Ranked Irish

Monday, December 17

Notre Dame, Ind.

7 p.m.

Purdue Fort Wayne

5-7

Notre Dame

10-1

IPFW

Notre Dame

Photo by: Jeff Nycz / Mid-South Images -

12/17/2012 9:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

BOX SCORE (.pdf) | BOX SCORE | PHOTO GALLERY

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Three players in double figures were not enough for the IPFW Mastodons, who dropped a 74-62 final score to 22nd ranked Notre Dame on Monday night at the Purcell Pavilion.

Luis Jacobo and Joe Edwards scored 11 points each to lead IPFW, while Mario Hines added 10 and Kevin Harden eight for the 'Dons. Hines and Harden each pulled down five rebounds, as the Mastodons were narrowly out-rebounded 37-to-34 in the game.

Pierre Bland and Harden each gave out three assists, while Harden and Isaiah McCray each picked up two assists.

The 'Dons jumped ahead early on a Jacobo three-point basket 51 seconds into the game, and were tied at 5-5 and 7-7, the latter after a tip-in by point guard Pierre Bland before the Irish ran off six straight points on back-to-back three-pointers to take a lead they would not give up for the remainder of the game.

IPFW fought back to within two at 13-11 on a Hines lay-in, but went on a scoring drought for the next five minutes before Hines converted a tip-in to snap an 8-0 Irish run.

The Mastodons got to within as few as seven, and had a 5-0 run late in the first half to cut the gap to nine before Pat Connaughton converted an acrobatic three-point-play to give Notre Dame a 12-point, 40-28 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.

Notre Dame's lead grew to as many as 19 with 13:35 to play in the game, before the Mastodons clawed back, closing to within as few as 11, as the game ended with a 12-point, 74-62 margin.

The Mastodons hit 23-of-65 shots (35.4 percent) from the field, 8-of-22 (36.4%) from beyond the arc, and 8-of-10 from the charity stripe.

Notre Dame was led by Connaughton's 18 points, while Jack Cooley scored 14 and Scott Martin 13. The Irish converted on 51.8 percent (29-of-56) shots from the field, and had 20 assists against just 13 turnovers.

The Mastodons return to action on Friday, December 21, when the squad plays host to Kennesaw State in a 7 p.m. tip-off at the Memorial Coliseum.

~ Feel the Rumble ~