Game Thread | Fairleigh Dickinson at Notre Dame

Fairleigh Dickinson (1-4) at Notre Dame (5-1)

Date: November 26th

Time: 7:00p.m. ET

Where: Purcell Pavilion | Notre Dame, Ind.

TV:  Regional Sports Networks - LINK

ACC Standings

Quick Facts 

- The Irish and Knights will meet for the second time on Tuesday. Notre Dame won 75-57 in 2014. 

- Fairleigh Dickinson was founded in 1942 as a junior college and has four campuses; two in New Jersey, one in Vancouver, British Columbia and one in South East England.

- Notre Dame is 29-0 against the Northeast Conference.

- John Mooney, one of nine major conference players in the country to average a double-double

- Mooney is also the only Division I player averaging 14.0 points and 13.0 rebounds per game.

- TJ Gibbs is two assists shy of 300 career assists and would be the 13^th player in the Mike Brey era and the 21^st player in program history to reach the mark.

THE STARTERS

Notre Dame

Fairleigh Dickinson

Preview

Points Per Game
Notre Dame: 72.8
Fairleigh Dickinson: 70.0

Opponent Points Per Game
Notre Dame: 60.3
Fairleigh Dickinson: 67.2

FG%
Notre Dame: 40.3%
Fairleigh Dickinson: 47.0%

Rebounds Per Game
Notre Dame: 41.7
Fairleigh Dickinson: 34.8

Assists Per Game
Notre Dame: 16.0
Fairleigh Dickinson: 10.2

Blocks Per Game
Notre Dame: 3.5
Fairleigh Dickinson: 3.8

Steals Per Game
Notre Dame: 8.3
Fairleigh Dickinson: 6.4

Fairleigh Dickinson made the Big Dance a year ago before falling to No. 1 seed Gonzaga, but the Knights have struggled to find the form from last season after losing two key pieces.

Jahlil Jenkins is the Knights best player and is averaging 15.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in four games this year, but was missing from the lineup during Sunday’s loss to Lafayette. 

The Knights are also wrapping up a five-game road swing on Monday, so that favors the Irish, who will finish a six-game home stand.

For the Irish, it will be about getting the offense back in a rhythm before traveling to No. 5 Maryland next week. 

Head coach Mike Brey knows his team is struggling to hit shots, but remained positive as the Irish defense stepped up over the first six games of the year. 

“There's a will about this group,” stated Brey. “(Rex) Pflueger is the key. You look and see some of the stuff he does and how much we missed a winner. For them, this (Toled win) is a great reference point no matter how bad it looks at times the rest of the year - and it will look bad.”

For Notre Dame to get back on track offensively, it starts with point guard Prentiss Hubb. The sophomore isn’t playing bad, but he’s in a funk over the last three games as he’s shot 8-for-29 from the field and just 2-for-16 from three-point range. 

Hubb getting going will open up much more of the offense and make life easier on senior John Mooney, who has carried the load to this point.

Mooney is the only Division-I player to average 14 points and 13 rebounds a night and while it seems like he can keep it up, the rest of the Irish need to step their game up on the offensive end. 

The positive for Notre Dame is the bench has started to turn a corner. Sophomore Dane Goodwin is averaging 10.2 points a night and it will be interesting to see how sophomore forward Nate Laszewski responds after hitting the biggest shot of his career last week. 

It might not seem like a big game, but it will be the final tuneup for the Irish before a stretch of facing Maryland, UCLA and Indiana in the month of December. 

Prediction: Notre Dame 74 Fairleigh Dickinson 60