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Notre Dame remains two games outside of the Big East lead.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have fought their way to third place in the crowded Big East standings after winning five games in a row. On Saturday, the Irish will try to make is six in a row when they host the DePaul Blue Demons (11-12, 2-9) at the Joyce Center.
Coach Mike Brey should draw some Coach of the Year consideration again for the way his team has found a winning formula after adjusting to losing leading scorer Tim Abromaitis. That formula relies on a balanced attack led by guards Eric Atkins (12.9 ppg) and Jerian Grant (12.7 ppg) along with Jack Cooley and Scott Martin adding some toughness and versatility to the mix.
Notre Dame needs to maintain their edge against a struggling DePaul team that arrives in South Bend with just two Big East wins. The Blue Demons are led by Cleveland Melvin (18.2 ppg) and Brandon Young (15 ppg) but Young has struggled to handle the losing of late while trying to lead his team. DePaul has lost three games in a row and eight of their last nine. The Blue Demons will also be without forward Moses Morgan who suffered a concussion in the team's loss to Marquette on Monday.
The game is scheduled to tip at noon ET and will be televised on the Big East Network (ABC 57 in South Bend).
For more on the Fighting Irish, check out One Foot Down. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NCAA Basketball hub at SBNation.com/NCAA-Basketball.
Notre Dame Vs. DePaul Final Score: Fighting Irish Pick Up 84-76 Victory Over Blue Demons
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish scored 50 points in the second half to defeat the DePaul Blue Demons on Saturday afternoon, 84-76. Jack Cooley and Jerian Grant each put in 22 points to give the Irish the victory.
Notre Dame shot a sharp 59.6 percent from the field. Cooley was 10-of-12 from the field while Grant hit on 6-of-10 shots. Cooley pulled down 14 boards and blocked four shots. Alex Dragicevich was the lone bench player (of three) to see extended time, putting in eight points over 17 minutes.
Jeremiah Kelly led the Blue Demons with 17 points off the bench. Cleveland Melvin led the DePaul starters with 16 points and six rebounds; however, Notre Dame had the rebounding advantage, 31-20.
The Fighting Irish are two games behind Syracuse in the Big East standings and will face Rutgers on Wednesday.
For more on the Fighting Irish, check out One Foot Down. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NCAA Basketball hub at SBNation.com/NCAA-Basketball.
Feb 11 3:08p by Russ Oates