Basketball Updates!

This is long overdue since the start of the season but good things have been following the team since losing Tory and Gody.

ND (1-0) 98 - Georgia Southern (0-1) 61
ND (2-0) 72 - Liberty (1-1) 51
ND (3-0) 102 - Chicago State (1-2) 62
ND (4-0) 97 - Maine (2-2) 72
ND (5-0) 89 - Georgia (3-1) 83 (2OT)*
ND (6-0) 57 - California (3-1) 44*
*Old Spice Classic

While the first four games were noting but early tune ups, Georgia was receiving votes in both polls (which ND had received none) so that was the first respectable win.

The game against Cal last night was an ugly win. The halftime score, ND 21-5, was the second lowest half total in the shot clock era (the honors go to Savannah State and North Carolina Central with 18 first half points). However, Cal gets the distinction of fewest points in a half in the shot clock era with 5. [edit: this may or may not be correct, there may have been a game with 4 pts but no conclusive evidence to prove this] Cal had 0 pts the final 9:21 of the first half. And oddly enough, ND only had 21. ND extended their streak of 380 consecutive games (started during the 1998-99 season) with a made three point shot when Ben Hansbrough made his only basket of the game, a 3ptr with 2:19 remaining. The Irish combined for 1-20 behind the arc.

Notre Dame plays in the final of the Old Spice Classic on 7pm Sunday against Wisconsin (4-1). Wisconsin has beaten Boston College 65-55 and Manhattan 50-35 to advance to the finals. Their lone loss came to UNLV 68-65 and their other two victories are against North Dakota 85-53 and Prairie View A&M 99-55. I like our chances to surprise some people and win the tournament while also extending our win streak to (8-0) before facing ranked Kentucky and ranked Gonzaga.

Go Irish!
~IT07