SB Nation Notre Dame Basketball
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Notre Dame tied a Big East record with 11 3-point shots in a half, en route to a 47-27 lead on Senior Night over Villanova. They shot 11-19, while Villanova was only 2 of 10 shooting from beyond the arc. The Wildcats only made 10 shots total in the first half.
Leading the way for the Irish was Ben Hansbrough with 16 points and six assists, and Tim Abromaitis had 13 points, four rebounds and three assists. Maalik Wayns had eight points to pace Villanova.
It's Senior Night in South Bend, as the No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish host the No. 19 Villanova Wildcats Monday night. The Irish starting five are all seniors, although only Ben Hansbrough and Tyrone Nash don't have another year of eligibility. With a win, ND will clinch at least 3rd place in the Big East, clinching the coveted double bye in the Big East Tournament, which starts next Tuesday. They also would stay right on the heels of Pittsburgh, who is only a game ahead of Notre Dame.
Villanova comes into the game losing their last two games, both at home. Since late January, the Wildcats have traded two losses with two wins, which if that holds true is a good sign for Villanova. They are led by Corey Fisher, averaging 16 points per game, and Corey Stokes with 15. They are in a 5-way tie for 7th place in the Big East, sitting at 9-7 in the conference.
Final: No. 8 Notre Dame Routs No. 19 Villanova 93-72 Behind 30 Points From Hansbrough, Abromaitis
Senior Night went pretty much perfect for Ben Hansbrough, shooting 7 of 10 from 3-point range, scoring 30 points, and dishing out a career-high 10 assists, en route to a 93-72 blowout victory over No. 19 Villanova. Everyone in attendance at Purcell Pavilion knew they were in for a special night when Hansbrough buried a 28-foot 3-pointer in the first half, putting the Irish up 36-16 with just under five minutes to go in the first half.
Matching Hansbrough's 30 points was Tim Abromaitis, who was on fire the entire night. He shot 9 of 13 from beyond the arc, falling one short of the school record of 10, set by Kyle McAlarney two seasons ago against North Carolina. It also fell one point short of his career high of 31. He also had four rebounds and four assists.
It was a record-breaking night all around for the Irish, as they hit 11 3-pointers in the first half, tying the Big East record for 3-pointers made in a half, and hit 20 for the game, which broke the school record of 19 set two seasons ago against South Dakota. It was also the first time since Feb. 18, 2006, when Chris Quinn had 34 and Colin Falls had 32 against Seton Hall. Senior Tyrone Nash pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds to go along with his 11 points as well.
Villanova's Maalik Wayns completed a three-point play almost six minutes into the game, trimming the Irish lead to seven at 14-7. That was the closest the Wildcats were the rest of the way. The Irish had runs of 14-4, 24-9, and 21-9 to build a 32 point lead at its biggest. It was a night where the Irish just couldn't do anything wrong. The lone bright spot for Villanova was Corey Fisher, who was 7-11 shooting in the second half, scoring 22 points, 17 in the second half.
Notre Dame now sits at 13-4 in the Big East, 24-5 overall on the season, and are only 1/2 game behind league leading Pittsburgh, who the Irish hold the tie-breaker over. The Irish end their regular season Saturday afternoon at Connecticut. Villanova now sits at 9-8 in the Big East, 11th in the league. They end their regular season Saturday at Pittsburgh.
Feb 28 10:41p by Matt Grecco - 0 comments