PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Notre Dame turned in its most dominant performance of the season in Saturday’s game against Pitt and held a lead for over 33 minutes of play on its way to an 84-58 victory.
The win was the result of a collective effort and extreme efficiency from the field. Four members of the Fighting Irish scored double-digits and the team made 13-of-24 shots from beyond the arc.
Cormac Ryan and Prentiss Hubb stood out as key players in the win. Ryan sunk five three pointers and missed only one shot. Hubb also had an impressive performance adding 17 points and dishing out a team-high nine assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a back-and-forth start to the game, the Irish were able to take the lead from Panthers with 11 minutes left in the half at 21-20. From there the Irish continued to extent its lead, with the score at 41-29 heading into the halftime brea,.
Hubb and Juwan Durham were the stars of the first 20 minutes. Hubb was dangerous beyond the arc sinking 3-of-4 three-pointers and Juwan Durham contributed 10 points to the scoreboard with a few electric dunks.
The Irish continued to shoot the ball with tremendous accuracy in the second half and boasted a 55.6 shooting percentage from the floor. Cormac Ryan was the biggest threat on the offensive end, making 4-of-5 three-point range. The Irish also kept the defensive pressure up and held the Panthers to a 30.6 shooting percentage. The collective effort helped the Irish keep control over the game leading to a 84-58 final score.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Ryan had an especially impressive game managing to make all but one shot (7-of-8) and contributing a team-high 19 points. His five three-pointers were critical to Notre Dame’s success.
STAT OF THE GAME
Notre Dame had one of its best shooting displays of the season, shooting 56.1 percent (32-of-57) from the field and a season-high 54.2 percent (13-of-24) from three-point range.
NOTES OF THE GAME
- Ryan’s 19 points were not only a season best but also matched an all-time personal record
- Ryan also hit five threes, beating a personal season high
- Hubb managed to hit five three-pointers, which matches his 2020-21 season best
- Nikola Djogo grabbed a season high seven rebounds
UP NEXT
Notre Dame welcomes Wake Forest to Purcell Pavilion for a match up on Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 5 p.m. EST. Game coverage will be on ACCN.