The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team (16-7, 9-3) won its fifth Atlantic Coast Conference road game against NC State (10-14, 3-10), 69-57, at PNC Arena on Saturday afternoon. The victory provides the Irish a regular-season sweep of the Wolfpack and matches the 2014-15 team for the best start to an ACC schedule in program history.
Five Notre Dame players hit double-figure scoring in the game, led by 15 points and 10 rebounds from Paul Atkinson Jr. for his second consecutive double-double. Dane Goodwin also posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while freshman Blake Wesely hit for 14 points. Terquavion Smith led NC State with 19 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Irish opened the game on a 9-0 run, propelled by a Hubb three pointer to open the scoring, then capped by a Hubb drive to force a Wolfpack timeout. NC State started the game 0-for-6 from the floor.
The Irish lead grew to 15-3 behind five points from Atkinson Jr and Hubb finding a streaking Wesley for a fast break layup. The Irish defense was highly active early, holding NC State to just 2-for-18 to start the game and the run eventually ended at 21-6.
Nate Laszewski drew a foul with great position defense early in the game, but suffered a contusion to his lower leg which limited him to just five minutes of action. He was unable to return to the game.
Atkinson Jr. was then whistled for his second foul and he went to the bench with around six minutes remaining in the half. NC State took advantage of the Irish without their two big men to rip off a 12-0 run and cut the lead to just four points.
Notre Dame pushed the lead back to eight points on back-to-back three pointers from Trey Wertz and Hubb. NC State answered with a three pointer of their own and the Irish went into the locker room with a 33-28 lead.
The Irish ended the half shooting 50 percent from the floor while holding the Wolfpack to 28 percent.
NC State earned a one-point lead with 14:49 left behind back-to-back three pointers and a drive to the hoop. The Irish had some wide open looks from behind the arc during the stretch but could not get the shots to fall and started the second 20 minutes 1-of-7 from the field.
The Irish responded to their first deficit of the game with a 12-2 run. Wertz kicked it off with an end-of-the-shot-clock three pointer, then Wesley dunked in transition, followed by a contested drive to put the Irish back up four.
Both teams fought back and forth over the next couple minutes as the Irish switched to an active zone defense which limited NC State’s offensive momentum. Cormac Ryan stepped up with a big wing three pointer off a great feed from Hubb to put the Irish up seven with 7:24 left.
Atkinson Jr. then put together a 5-0 run of his own with three consecutive free throws and a dunk from a great Wertz pass. The Irish 12-2 run pushed their lead to 12 with 5:45 left and eventually ballooned to 15 on a Wertz jumper.
NC State would work the lead down to eight with 1:13 left on a 7-0 run, but Notre Dame held them off from the free throw line and eventually earned the 69-57 victory.
NOTES
The Irish had five players in double figures for the first time since the win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi earlier this year on Dec. 22 • the double-double was fourth of the season and 13th of Atkinson Jr.’s career, the 2nd of the season and fourth of Goodwin’s career.
UP NEXT
The Irish return to Purcell Pavilion and play host to the second game of the ACC season with Louisville on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU.