Jan. 4, 2011
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2010-11 Notre Dame Men’s Basketball Notre Dame 73, Connecticut 70
January 4, 2011
Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center – Notre Dame, Ind.
Post-Game Notes
Tonight was the 24th meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Connecticut. The Huskies lead the series 16-8, yet the Irish have won the past two encounters, which both have occurred at home. The Irish are 7-4 at home against Connecticut, including wins in five of the past six at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Tonight was the first of two regular-season meetings between the Fighting Irish and Huskies. Notre Dame will conclude the regular season on March 5 at Connecticut. This is the fourth straight season that Notre Dame and Connecticut will meet twice in the regular season.
Notre Dame has won its last two encounters with Connecticut. The two-game win streak against the Huskies matches Notre Dame’s longest in the series. The Fighting Irish defeated Connecticut twice during the 1999-2000 campaign.
Seven of last eight Notre Dame-Connecticut games have been decided by single digits. Notre Dame is 3-4 in those contests decided by less than 10 points. Tonight was the closest Notre Dame-Connecticut game since a 75-74 Connecticut victory in overtime on Feb. 21, 2006, in Hartford, Conn. It was Notre Dame’s closest win in the series since a 68-66 home victory on Feb. 12, 2000.
Tonight’s game against No. 8/9 Connecticut was Notre Dame’s third straight contest versus a top-10 opponent. The Irish bested No. 9/9 Georgetown 69-55 last Wednesday and they fell at No. 5/5 Syracuse 70-58 on Saturday. This was the first time since the 2008-09 season that Notre Dame has faced a top-10 opponent in three consecutive contests. That year, the Irish faced four straight top-10 opponents (#8/8 Syracuse – L, 74-93; #3/3 Connecticut – L, 61-69; #10/11 Marquette – L, 64-71; #3/3 Pittsburgh – L, 64-71)
Tonight’s win over No. 8/9 Connecticut coupled with last Wednesday’s 69-55 victory over No. 9/9 Georgetown marked the first time since 2002-03 campaign that Notre Dame has defeated two top-10 teams in a three-game span. That season the Fighting Irish took down No. 13/10 Marquette (92-71), No. 9/8 Maryland (79-67) and No. 2/2 Texas (98-92) in consecutive contests.
Prior to the wins over Georgetown and Connecticut, the last time Notre Dame recorded back-to-back home wins over top-10 teams was during the 1960-61 season when the Irish knocked off No. 7 DePaul (61-58 on Jan. 17, 1961) and No. 7 St. John’s (64-63 on Feb. 2, 1961).
Notre Dame has collected 13 wins in its first 15 games of the season for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign when that Irish squad opened with a 15-2 mark.
Tim Abromaitis (19 points) has reached double-figures in points 13 times this season and 41 times in his career.
Tim Abromaitis went 3-5 from three-point range. He has hit at least three three-pointers in the past four contests. Abromaitis has deposited at least three treys in a game eight times this season.
Ben Hansbrough notched a game-high 21 points. He has scored in double-figures a team-best 14 times this season, including in each of the past nine games. That is the second-longest double-digit scoring streak for the Fighting Irish this season. Carleton Scott reached double-figures in 10 straight contests earlier in the campaign. Hansbrough has reached double-digits 63 times in his career (37 times while at Notre Dame).
With his 21 points, Ben Hansbrough now has scored 20-plus points five times this season and 12 times in his career (8 times at Notre Dame).
Ben Hansbrough has made a three-pointer in a team-best 19 straight games dating back to last season. That is the longest such streak since Tim Abromaitis made a trey in 29 consecutive games last season.
Scott Martin (13 points) reached double-figures for the fourth straight game and for the seventh time this season. It’s the first time this season – and the second time in his career – that he has registered double-digits in four straight contests. He reached double-digits in five straight games during his freshman season at Purdue (2007-08). He has 20 career games in double-figures.
Tyrone Nash (11 points) has scored in double-figures eight times this season and 22 times in his career.
Tonight marked the 10th time this season that Notre Dame has had at least four players score in double-figures.
Notre Dame possessed a 38-30 lead at halftime. The Irish are 12-0 this season when leading at the intermission.
The three-point victory was Notre Dame’s closest margin of victory or defeat this season. The previous low was four points in an 83-79 victory over Gonzaga (Dec. 11).
Notre Dame held a 36-33 advantage in rebounds. The Fighting Irish are 13-0 this season when out-rebounding their opponent.
Notre Dame is 10-0 at home this season.
The Fighting Irish were 19-31 from the free throw line, while Connecticut was 11-12. The Irish are 12-0 this season when making more free throws than their opponents.
Notre Dame has held 14 of its 15 opponents to 50% or less from the field this season. Connecticut shot 26-59 (.441) from the field.
The Fighting Irish matched a season-low total by only committing eight turnovers. That is the fifth time this season Notre Dame has had fewer than 10 turnovers in a game. Connecticut had 12 turnovers. The Irish are 8-0 this season when committing less turnovers than their opponent.
Seniors Tyrone Nash (F), Tim Abromaitis (F), Ben Hansbrough (G) and Scott Martin (G) along with freshman Eric Atkins (G) started tonight’s contest. It marked the first time this season that quintet has started. Senior forward Carleton Scott, a starter in the first 14 games this season, did not start after suffering a hamstring injury on Saturday versus Syracuse. This was Atkins second start of the season. He also started the Chicago State contest on Nov. 17. Nash, Abromaitis and Hansbrough have started all 15 games this season, while Martin has 14 starts.
Senior forward Tyrone Nash extended his consecutive games played streak to a team-best 65 contests. Nash and senior guard Ben Hansbrough both have started 50 straight contests, which is a team-high total.
Tim Abromaitis‘s three-pointer less than two minutes into the contest extended Notre Dame’s streak to 389 straight games with a made three-pointer. The Fighting Irish have made at least one three pointer during every game of the Mike Brey era.