(NOTRE DAME RELEASE)
BLACKSBURG, VA – Notre Dame and No. 19 Virginia Tech battled it out in Cassell Coliseum with the Irish putting together an impressive first half, leading 42-35 at the break, but couldn’t keep its momentum in the second stanza, falling by a final score of 77-63.
Nate Laszewski (17 points) and Dane Goodwin’s (12 points) efforts kept the Irish in the competition with a combined 29 points and five rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Irish entered the arena on Sunday with a balanced shooting effort – eight players contributed points to the board in the first half. The contest was close, but Notre Dame’s superior shooting, notably from Goodwin and Laszewski, helped them take a 42-35 lead heading into halftime.
Despite a strong first half performance, Notre Dame trailed for much of the second half. Laszewski’s free throw accuracy (11-of-12) kept the Irish in contention but the Irish were unable to keep pace on the offensive end against the ranked foe. Virginia Tech came away victorious by a score of 77-63.
NOTES OF THE GAME
Eleven of Laszewski’s 17 points came from the free-throw line (11-of-12, 91.7%)
In his first start of the season, Nikola Djogo recorded a season-high six rebounds against the Hokies
Notre Dame showcased an impressive 80.8 free throw percentage (21-of-26), maintaining its leading position in free-throw shooting percentage within the ACC
UP NEXT
The Fighting Irish will take on the Virginia Cavaliers on Wednesday, Jan. 13th at 4:30 p.m. EST. The matchup will be available on the ACC Network.