NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Notre Dame turned in a well-rounded performance on both ends of the floor in a 75-61 win over UCLA on Saturday afternoon inside Purcell Pavilion.
Notre Dame’s overall record improves to 8-3 with the victory, including a mark of 8-1 at home.
The Fighting Irish had four players score in double figures, led by Prentiss Hubb, who had 20 points and six assists. Dane Goodwin added 16 points and six rebounds off the bench and T.J. Gibbs helped out with 15 points. Mooney rounded out the balanced attack with 14 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After jumping out to an 11-8 advantage, Notre Dame went on a 9-0 run with 9:32 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Hubb, to increase its lead to 20-8. The Fighting Irish then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 31-24 advantage. Notre Dame relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down eight shots to account for 24 of its 31 points.
Following intermission, Notre Dame kept widening its advantage, expanding it to 66-55 before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Hubb’s three, to grow the lead to 73-55 with 32 seconds to go in the contest. The Bruins narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Fighting Irish still cruised the rest of the way for the 75-61 win. Notre Dame shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting seven shots from deep to score 21 of its 44 points.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Hubb carried the Irish offense in the second half, scoring 17 of his 20 points in the final 20 minutes to help the Irish get the win. The sophomore also did a great job distributing the ball, dishing out a team-high six assists. Hubb did the majority of his damage from three-point range, matching his career high with five makes from distance.
STAT OF THE GAME
The Notre Dame defense stifled the Bruins all afternoon, forcing the visitors into their worst shooting performance of the season. UCLA finished 22-of-63 (34.9 percent). The Irish have now held five teams to under 40 percent from the field this season.
NOTES
- With the win the Irish improve to 21-29 against UCLA, including a record of 13-11 when playing at home.
- Glenn and Stacey Murphy Head Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Brey coached his 800th career game on Saturday, becoming the 25th active coach to reach the milestone.
- For the fourth time this season and second time in as many games, the Irish knocked down 10 or more shots from beyond the arc, finishing 15-of-39.
- Notre Dame recorded just six turnovers on Saturday, tied for the fewest of any game this season. The Irish have had less than 10 turnovers in four games this season.
- Mooney recorded his eighth double-double in just 10 games that he has played in this season, posting 14 points and 15 rebounds.
- Hubb finished with 20 or more points for the second time this season and second time in his career.
- Goodwin’s double-digit scoring performance was his seventh game of the season with 10 or more points and 15th of his career.
- Gibbs scored 10 or more points for the ninth time this season and 65th time in his career.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Irish have the next week off for finals before traveling to Indianapolis for an intrastate showdown against Indiana on Saturday, Dec. 21 as part of the Crossroads Classic and Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Tip is scheduled for noon and the game will air live on ESPN and will also be available to stream via the WatchESPN app (subscription required).