Marquette Dominates The Paint In Convincing Win Over Notre Dame

Shaka Smart is no fool. Marquette’s second-year head coach attacked the weakness of the Notre Dame men’s basketball team from start to finish enroute to a 79-64 win over the Irish on Sunday afternoon at Purcell Pavilion.

Smart’s Warriors (8-3) scored 50 of its points in the paint, the Achilles heel of Notre Dame (7-3) all season, to win the first meeting between the two Catholic school rivals in nearly a decade.

Nate Laszewski was one of the few bright spots for the Irish. He led his team with 20 points. Laszewski got out to a good start, scoring five of Notre Dame’s first 10 points. He cooled off though, finishing the half with 10 points by hitting 4 of 12 shots overall, including 1 of 5 from 3-point range. He hit 3 of 5 shots, including a pair of 3-pointers, in the second half for his third game of at least 20 points this season.

JJ Starling was the only other Irish player in double figures with 12 points. The freshman hit 2 of 3 from 3-point range, but just 4 of 12 shots overall.

Marquette attacked Notre Dame’s defensive weakness early and often, scoring 24 of their 34 first half points in the paint to Notre Dame’s 12. The high percentage shots helped the Warriors shoot 14 for 30 from the field in the first half. They scored 63% of their points for the game in the paint.

Oso Ighodaro had a double-double after the game’s first 20 minutes with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The 6-9 forward finished with 16 points and 18 boards. Kam Jones led all scorers with 25 points on 10 for 25 shooting.

Notre Dame missed its last six shots over the final 5:43 of the first half to trail 34-29. It helped Marquette to a 16-1 run across halves to take a 41-29 lead just 1:13 into the second half.

Laszewski hit a three to end the long drought two minutes into the half and then Cormac Ryan followed on Notre Dame’s next possession to pull the Irish to within six points of the visitors. That was as close as they would be the rest of the game.

Notre Dame scored on four straight possessions, but still found itself treading water, sinking to a 15-point deficit with 13:46 remaining.

Marquette’s David Joplin was ejected with 10:41 remaining for a Flagrant 2 foul on Laszewski, who hit a pair of free throws for an 8-0 Irish run to pull them within seven points. They also got possession of the ball after the foul shots, but couldn’t get any closer.

A 15-3 run by the Warriors ballooned their lead to 20 before Marcus Hammond hit a trey with 2:00 to play. The Irish shot 48% from the floor in the second half, with six of their 13 made baskets from long range, but the lack of interior defense was too much to overcome.

Notre Dame is off for finals this week. The Fighting Irish return to play next Sunday when they face the Georgia Bulldogs in Atlanta.

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