Game Thread | Notre Dame at Virginia
Notre Dame (15-8, 6-6) at Virginia (15-7, 7-5)
Date: February 11th
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Where: John Paul Jones Arena | Chartlottesville, Va.
TV: ESPN2 | Mike Couzens and Cory Alexander
Quick Facts
- Notre Dame and Clemson will meet for the 15th time on Tuesday evening.
- The Cavaliers lead the all-time series 2-12 and the Irish have never won in Charlottesville.
- John Mooney is second in the nation in rebounds-per-game with a 13.0 average.
- Mooney has recorded double-doubles in 19 of 22 games played this season.
- Notre Dame leads the country in least amount of fouls committed per game (12.3).
- Notre Dame is currently sixth in the country and first in the ACC in assists per game with a 17.2 average.
THE STARTERS
Notre Dame
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Prentiss Hubb | 11.8 | 2.5 | 4.6 |
| TJ Gibbs | 14.1 | 2.5 | 3.4 |
| Rex Pflueger | 5.8 | 3.3 | 3.7 |
| John Mooney | 16.5 | 13.0 | 2.0 |
| Juwan Durham | 7.8 | 5.3 | 1.0 |
Virginia
| Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Kihei Clark | 10.4 | 4.4 | 6.1 |
| Tomas Woldetensae | 6.4 | 2.1 | 1.0 |
| Braxton Key | 10.5 | 7.2 | 1.6 |
| Mamadi Diakite | 13.3 | 6.7 | 0.6 |
| Jay Huff | 8.3 | 6.1 | 0.9 |
Preview
Points Per Game
Notre Dame: 76.2
Virginia: 56.8
Opponent Points Per Game
Notre Dame: 68.4
Virginia: 51.7
FG%
Notre Dame: 43.0%
Virginia: 40.7%
Rebounds Per Game
Notre Dame: 38.4
Virginia: 34.7
Assists Per Game
Notre Dame: 17.2
Virginia: 11.4
Blocks Per Game
Notre Dame: 3.9
Virginia: 4.4
Steals Per Game
Notre Dame: 5.7
Virginia: 5.5
If you thought Sunday’s game was ugly, Notre Dame fans could be in for a treat on Tuesday night as the Irish travel to Virginia looking for the first win in Charlottesville.
Virginia is giving up just 51.7 points per game, so there is a good chance the Irish will struggle on offense. Athleticism and length have given Notre Dame fits all year and Virginia has it.
The good news is Virginia is atrocious when it comes to scoring. It’s not every day Notre Dame enters a game where they score 20 more points a night than the opponent. Mike Brey would be wise to turn this one into a fast-paced game and live with some bad shots as the Irish aren’t likely to have much success in halfcourt sets.
Can Notre Dame beat a good defensive team in game situations if it comes down to the wire? The last month was a step in the right direction, including Sunday’s win over Clemson.
“We’re older,” stated Brey “This is an older group, I was waiting for them in December and early January to show a little bit of the mettle and toughness that they’ve had these last seven games. So it’s neat to see it. We do have very good senior leadership.”
How much more does TJ Gibbs have in the tank? How much more can John Mooney give?
If they have any hope at making some noise and making a run at the Big Dance, they will have to dig a little deeper as the sophomore class has proved to be better this season, but also inconsistent.
For Notre Dame to win, the Irish will need to have a big night from three. Notre Dame will need to hit at least 10 threes and out-rebound Virginia on Tuesday.
Prediction: Virginia 64 Notre Dame 57