Until it played Wake Forest, Notre Dame’s games this season in which it had shot well from 3-point range resulted in a win. Not only did the Irish’s contest against the Demon Deacons feature 14 3-pointers, but they accounted for the majority of their field goals. However, the Deacons badly outhustled the Irish as evidenced by their large advantages in offensive rebounds (16-2) and second-chance points (16-4). The result was a 79-74 Irish loss and an end to their five-game winning streak.
The Irish (19-8, 12-4) scored 12 unanswered points during one stretch of the first half and took a six-point halftime lead. The second half went better for the Deacons (21-7, 11-6), who turned it into a back-and-forth affair for a time. The Deacons took the lead for good with 4:20 left, though the Irish never fell behind by more than two possessions the rest of the way. It was not until Cormac Ryan missed a game-tying corner 3-pointer in the final seconds and two subsequent free throws from Jake LaRavia that this game was iced.
It was appropriate for LaRavia to have the last word as he played the entire game and sank 10 of 11 free throws in a 20-point, four-steal effort. Only Alondes Williams, who is projected by some to be a second-round pick in this year’s NBA draft, had more points (23) for the Deacons. Williams completed a double-double with 10 rebounds, as did Khadim Sy off the bench (15 points, 10 rebounds).
Blake Wesley was the game’s leading scorer with 24 points, and he also had three steals. Ryan scored 12 points, while 11 apiece came from Paul Atkinson Jr. and Nate Laszewski, the latter of whom came off the bench as he continues to recover from a leg contusion. Prentiss Hubb had 10 points to go with his game-high six assists.
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