Tag: Trey Wertz

Notre Dame shuts Bowling Green down in second half for win

Another nonconference game, another win.

Don’t be fooled by this final. It looked for a while like Notre Dame was going to let another inferior opponent hang around until the end. While Mid-American Conference member Bowling Green comes from a league slightly better than the Irish’s other nonconference opponents to this point, a loss to this program at Purcell Pavilion still would have been embarrassing. Fortunately, the Irish only have to think about an 82-66 win.

Although the Irish (5-0) led for most of the game, they couldn’t seem to shake the Falcons (2-3) completely. A [autotag]Nate Laszewski[/autotag] 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer gave the Irish a two-point lead, but the Falcons’ persistence continued into the second half, and they went in front, 61-59 near the frame’s halfway point. That’s when the Irish completely took over, outscoring the Falcons, 23-5, the rest of the way. They scored their final 17 points unanswered with the Falcons not scoring again until their final possession with seconds to play.

[autotag]JJ Starling[/autotag] had the best game of his young career with 23 points, six rebounds and three steals. Laszewski was just behind with 22 points, including four 3s. [autotag]Ven-Allen Lubin[/autotag] scored 12 off the bench, and [autotag]Dane Goodwin[/autotag] added 11. [autotag]Trey Wertz[/autotag] dished out a game-high six assists.

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Thirteen Notre Dame players make ACC All-Academic Team

These players knew to hit the books before they hit the court.

Generally speaking, Notre Dame basketball is a very mixed bag right now. The women are coming off their second straight Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament. After a historically bad season, the men have a new coach and need to somehow figure out how to fill up a roster with many gaps. The one thing both programs have in common is they have some very intelligent players.

As a reflection of Notre Dame’s high classroom standards, 13 basketball players have made their respective ACC All-Academic Teams. Specifically, seven women and six men were so honored. It’s the latest example of the university refusing to compromise its values if it means accepting student-athletes who won’t take their studies seriously. With this latest news, that stubbornness won’t change anytime soon.

Take a look at the players who are as good in the classroom as they are on the court. Maybe this can serve as an inspiration to a young person who is struggling with grades. If you are one of them, don’t give up because these men and women sure don’t. It’s the first ACC All-Academic selection for all players unless noted:

Photos of Notre Dame’s regular-season game against Miami

You probably watched the Gator Bowl instead of this.

Chances are you missed Notre Dame’s 76-65 loss to Miami during the regular season. That’s because it was happening at the same time the football team was playing in the Gator Bowl. Only the diehard fans of the basketball program and friends and family of players likely were in Purcell Pavilion that afternoon. The media interest was low, too, as evidenced by this tweet from Tom Noie of the South Bend Tribune:

All of that said, it simply was another forgettable game in a forgettable season for the Irish. The only reason it’s being brought back into the limelight is because the Hurricanes are in their first Final Four. The Irish should be honored they had a chance to play one of the remaining national championship contenders in South Bend. If the Hurricanes win it all, that honor will be even greater.

[autotag]Trey Wertz[/autotag] led the Irish with 15 points. [autotag]Dane Goodwin[/autotag] scored 14, and [autotag]Marcus Hammond[/autotag] had 12 off the bench. [autotag]Nate Laszewski[/autotag] came very close to a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. [autotag]Cormac Ryan[/autotag] also grabbed nine boards and had five assists.

Here are the images of a game that would have been more forgettable had the Hurricanes been knocked out of the NCAA Tournament sooner:

Notre Dame drops tight one vs. Virginia Tech in ACC Tournament

So close to a bright spot in an awful season, but at least it’s all over.

Notre Dame fans were just waiting to be put out of their misery for this season. However, none of them could have anticipated an ACC Tournament first-round game with Virginia Tech that came down to the very end.

But like so many other times this season, the Irish just could not close the deal. A frustrating 2022-23 campaign came to an end with a 67-64 loss that gave the Hokies a second-round date with NC State.

The Irish (11-21), who finished the season tied for the most losses in program history, turned a 12-point first-half deficit into a five-point lead with 5:35 remaining. They were up four with 2:08 left, but the Hokies (19-13) scored five unanswered points to retake the lead going into the final minute.

With 42.5 seconds left, [autotag]Trey Wertz[/autotag] made two free throws to put the Irish back up, but Sean Pedulla also was awarded two free throws after [autotag]Matt Zona[/autotag] fouled out on a dead ball technical. Pedulla made only one of them, so the game was tied at 64 with the Hokies getting the ball.

Justyn Mutts blew past [autotag]Dane Goodwin[/autotag] and around a screen for a dunk to put the Hokies in front, the game’s 16th lead change. [autotag]Cormac Ryan[/autotag] tried to answer with a layup but was blocked by Rodney Rice. [autotag]Nate Laszewski[/autotag] was forced to foul Pedulla, who had two free throws to try and ice the game for the Hokies. Pedulla only made one, and the Irish had a chance to tie it with a 3 with 9.8 seconds remaining.

[autotag]Marcus Hammond[/autotag] had the first 3 attempt but was blocked by Mutts, who touched the ball as it went out of bounds. That gave the Irish one last gasp to send the game to overtime with 2.4 seconds on the clock. This time, Laszewski got the ball, and he got the shot off. It didn’t fall, and [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag]’s tenure as Irish coach was over.

Grant Basile led the Hokies with 20 points, but Mutts was their best player with a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds. Pedulla scored 13, and Hunter Cattoor, the ACC’s co-leader in 3-point shooting, got nine of his 11 points from beyond the arc.

Hammond lead all scorers with a season-high 23 points, and Ryan scored 18. Zona had nine points on a career-high three 3s before fouling out.

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Notre Dame plays spoiler against Pittsburgh in Mike Brey’s home finale

Now that’s the way to close the home season.

Notre Dame’s home finale against Pittsburgh was a picture of what could and should have been this season. On paper, the Irish had all the talent to make a run similar to last year’s team that won twice in the NCAA Tournament. Instead, the inability to close out games tumbled them to near the bottom of the ACC, leaving them to play the spoiler role in the regular season’s final week. That they did against the Panthers with an 88-81 victory in [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag]’s final home game.

The Irish (11-19, 3-16) were in control from the beginning on a night when the Panthers (21-9, 14-5) could have clinched a share of the ACC regular-season title. They led by as much as 20 in the second half and stayed in front by double digits until the game almost was at its final minute. The Panthers made it interesting, getting to within five with 38 seconds left, so that big cushion turned out to be very necessary. When there’s a second half with a collective 54 free throws attempted and 43 field goals attempted, you can’t come to any other conclusion.

In their final games at Purcell Pavilion, [autotag]Cormac Ryan[/autotag] and [autotag]Marcus Hammond[/autotag] tied for a game-high 20 points. [autotag]Nate Laszewski[/autotag] and [autotag]Trey Wertz[/autotag] scored 14 apiece in their home finales. [autotag]Dane Goodwin[/autotag] also played his last game in South Bend and scored 12 before fouling out. Even [autotag]Robby Carmody[/autotag] got to play on senior night, bricking two free throws in the last minute and also grabbing one rebound.

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Notre Dame suffers latest close loss to North Carolina

Another close game that wasn’t meant to go the Irish’s way.

The stars seemed to be aligned for Notre Dame at last. After losing close contests at Duke and Virginia, a struggling North Carolina team was coming to Purcell Pavilion at the right time. This time, the Irish would get the job done and have their signature win of the season, right? Instead, they let the Tar Heels escape with their own 63-59 victory, giving them hope to still make the NCAA Tournament.

Despite the teams combining for only 15 field goals and shooting 25.4% from the field in the first half, the Irish (10-18, 2-15) held an eight-point halftime lead. The Tar Heels (17-11, 9-8) came out of the locker room looking like a new team, successfully executing a full-court press and otherwise frustrating the Irish on offense. That helped them go on a 15-4 run to open the second half, and it looked like they might blow the game open. Instead, the Irish kept it close throughout, and the game wasn’t decided until the clock almost was at zero.

The Irish lost the lead for good on a possession in which they allowed four offensive rebounds before Caleb Love made the go-ahead layup with 3:22 left. It painted the perfect picture of a game in which the Tar Heels held significant advantages in offensive boards (23-8) and second-chance points (23-9).

Even so, the Irish had a last chance when they trailed, 61-58, and [autotag]JJ Starling[/autotag] was sent to the line for two free throws with 4.8 seconds remaining. Starling made the first and intentionally missed the second, but Love got the rebound and subsequently made two free throws after a foul to ice it.

Love scored 16 points to tie Armando Bacot, who achieved a double-double with 11 rebounds. RJ Davis had 12 points, and Pete Nance completed his own double-double of 11 points and 10 boards. Leaky Black grabbed 11 rebounds of his own. Yes, that’s three Tar Heels who reached double figures in boards, so it’s no surprise the team dominated in that category, 52-33.

[autotag]Cormac Ryan[/autotag] paced the Irish with 14 points. [autotag]Trey Wertz[/autotag] scored 13, and Starling brought his scoring total to 10 with his late free throw.

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Syracuse youngsters lead comeback win over Notre Dame veterans

Those young whippersnappers in Central New York done beat those old guys.

Once again, Notre Dame’s mantra of getting and staying old didn’t pay off. In fact, it might have served as a detriment this time. The Irish had Syracuse on the ropes, but Jim Boeheim switched things up, and it changed the game’s momentum. Now, the Irish are left to wonder what could have been after a 78-73 loss.

Thanks largely to a season-high 15 3-pointers, the Irish (9-9, 1-6) led by as much as 12 in the second half. It was then that the Orange (12-6, 5-2) went to a full-court press, and that took the Irish out of their rhythm. In a stretch paced by a four-freshman lineup, the Orange made one timely shot after another while the Irish saw their hot shooting go cold and weren’t able to shake off the Orange’s defense. That big lead shrank until it finally disappeared.

[autotag]Marcus Hammond[/autotag] answered freshman Chris Bell’s go-ahead 3 with one of his own, but that was the last good thing to happen to the Irish. Judah Mintz tied the game at 71 on the Orange’s next possession, which was followed by the last media timeout. When action resumed, the Irish couldn’t inbound the ball cleanly, and the Orange made enough free throws from there to seal the victory. The Irish had opportunities to counter those free throws, but they couldn’t recapture their earlier good shooting from beyond the arc.

Bell set a career-high with 17 points, including 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range. Maliq Brown, another freshman, came off the bench and also hit a career scoring high with 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Mintz scored 14, including eight free throws, and dished out a game-high eight assists. Jesse Edwards had a typical game of 13 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks.

Hammond was the game’s leading scorer with 18 points. [autotag]Dane Goodwin[/autotag] was well-rounded with 15 points, six assists and two steals. [autotag]Nate Laszewski[/autotag] had a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, and [autotag]Trey Wertz[/autotag]’s line included 12 points, seven boards and four dimes.

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Notre Dame survives Georgia Tech in overtime for first ACC win

Ugly, tense game, but the Irish are on the board in the ACC.

Getting your first ACC victory shouldn’t be this hard, but that’s been the story of Notre Dame’s season. It only was fitting that the Irish would struggle once more when it played Georgia Tech at Purcell Pavilion. This time however, the ending was a happy one. While it won’t inspire any outsider’s confidence in them, the Irish will take their 73-72 overtime win over the Yellow Jackets.

The Irish (9-8, 1-5) saw a nine-point second-half lead turn into a seven-point deficit with two-and-a-half minutes to go. But four straight points from [autotag]JJ Starling[/autotag] were followed by a [autotag]Trey Wertz[/autotag] 3-pointer to tie the game with 53 seconds left. Both the Irish and Jackets (8-8, 1-5) had chances to score with time winding down, but both attempts failed. The Jackets committed a shot-clock violation, and Starling barely missed a layup with seconds to play, forcing overtime.

The period frequently known as free basketball saw the teams trade baskets and culminated in two free [autotag]Nate Laszewski[/autotag] free throws to give the Irish a one-point lead with 23 seconds remaining. Starling went after a missed 3 that was headed out of bounds, and a replay review ruled he touched the ball. That allowed the Jackets to inbound beneath the basket with 3.7 seconds left and a chance to win it. Ja’Von Franklin took the inbound and missed the subsequent shot, allowing Wertz to secure the rebound and the win for the Irish.

[autotag]Dane Goodwin[/autotag] briefly departed with a rolled ankle, but he returned to the floor to complete a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds. Starling came off the bench for the first time in his collegiate career to score 16. Laszewski had 14 points to go with seven boards, and [autotag]Cormac Ryan[/autotag] added 11.

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Revisiting some of Mike Brey’s local media day comments

Do you think Mike is regretting any of these preseason quotes?

Back in October, Fighting Irish Wire was lucky to attend Notre Dame’s media day for South Bend outlets. [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag] spoke with the assembled reporters before the players entered the room, and every answer he gave was a clue into the workings of his team. The atmosphere was an optimistic one as the Irish were coming off a couple of NCAA Tournament wins in the spring. Why couldn’t it happen again with all of these older players returning?

Well, the Irish have reached a crossroads much sooner than they would have liked. They are 8-7 and have lost their first four ACC games, tying with Louisville for last in the conference. The fun of last March has given way to frustration and bafflement as to how things have gone so wrong. Even most of the nonconference victories have not been very satisfying, and there is no reason to think this season will last beyond the ACC Tournament.

So how have some of Brey’s preseason words held up? Let’s take a look:

Photos from Notre Dame’s road loss to Florida State

Not great.

If Notre Dame is going to make anything significant out of this season, time already is running out. A 73-72 loss to Florida State puts the Irish (7-5, 0-2) at the bottom of the ACC along with NC State, Georgia Tech and Louisville.

This shouldn’t even have happened, but the Irish blew an 11-point first-half lead, and the Seminoles (4-10, 2-1) were in front for most of the second half. While the Irish scored six unanswered points in the final two minutes to cut a seven-point deficit to one, [autotag]Trey Wertz[/autotag] overthrew [autotag]Cormac Ryan[/autotag] on the would-be game-winning fast break, and that was it.

[autotag]JJ Starling[/autotag] led all scorers with 20 points in the losing effort. Ryan and [autotag]Nate Laszewski[/autotag] scored 17 and 12 points respectively while collecting six rebounds apiece. Wertz had 10 points and four assists, and a fifth one could have happened but for that final bad pass.

You probably don’t want to relive this game, but in case you do, here are some photos: