Notre Dame has been high on Trey Wertz from the moment he transferred. After he played well in his Irish debut against No. 21 Duke, Mike Brey rewarded him with his first start in the Crossroads Classic against Purdue. In turn, Wertz justified Brey’s decision by leading all scorers with 27 points, including five 3-pointers, and recording a team-high five assists. It wasn’t enough as the Boilermakers earned an 88-78 victory.
The Irish (2-4) had all the makings of a team that can stick around but not get over the hump. They trailed by double digits frequently in the first half but went on a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to five heading into the locker room. Early in the second half, Dane Goodwin and Nikola Djogo combined to hit three consecutive 3-pointers to tie it at 53. The Boilermakers (6-2) responded by going on their own 9-0 run and never trailed again.
Eric Hunter Jr. and Sasha Stefanovic scored 18 points apiece for the Boilermakers and combined to hit 9 of their 14 3s. Hunter also dished out a game-high eight assists. Mason Gillis barely missed a double-double to the tune of 12 points and nine rebounds. Trevion Williams rounded out the Boilermakers’ top scorers with 14 points.
Cormac Ryan complimented his fellow transfer in Wertz with 14 points. Nate Laszewski scored 13, and Djogo had 11 off the bench. In a surprise disappointment, Prentiss Hubb, the ACC’s leading scorer, was held without a point. However, he tied with Goodwin to lead the Irish with six rebounds.
