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Notre Dame Basketball

Irish's guts on display in willingness to take big shots

December 6, 2020
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It was Cormac Ryan early Sunday night, and it was Dane Goodwin later in the game for Notre Dame

In between? Never doubt Prentiss Hubb's willingness to both dart into the paint amongst the trees or pull up from anywhere his Irish might need a shot.

While Notre Dame doesn't have anything remotely approaching a deep roster, what it does have, according to veteran coach Mike Brey, is plenty of players willing to step into the moment.

“I say four of those starters love taking big shots,” Brey said. “(Nate) Laszewski's already proven himself, that he'll rise up and take them. I think Dane's drive to give us the lead back was key, and he'll take big ones. And I think Prentiss has proven that, too. And Cormac.

“We really have four guys that kind of like that moment to give their team a lead or a two-possession lead.”

All had their moments in Sunday's win against Detroit Mercy, a game in which Notre Dame (1-1) trailed with less than six minutes to play but got significant contributions down the stretch from all five of its starters.

Each of the Irish's five starters also scored in double figures. But it was Goodwin who responded to Notre Dame's final deficit when he seized the ball, barreled to the rim and lifted the home team on top, 64-63, in a game that was never again that close.

Laszewski had a pair of signature moments as a sophomore last season, when he forced overtime in non-conference play with a buzzer-beating 3 and then capped the Irish's wild comeback-win against North Carolina with a triple at the buzzer.

“I think all five of us in the starting lineup understand our position and our role,” Goodwin said. “I think we have a great group of guys that understand on any given night it can be any of us. So we've always got to be ready in that aspect. And we've got some guys that are aggressive and want to make that play, want to make the extra pass. Those kinds of things.

“I think it's understanding our personnel and having to be aggressive in those points in the game.”

Notre Dame's four long-distance shooters combined to go 10-for-22 from deep Sunday night, and rookie Tony Sanders Jr. buried his lone long-distance attempt at a key moment in the first half as the Irish's shot-clock expired.

LOOKING AHEAD

Not much has proceeded as planned for the Irish in the past week. They had a trio of contests wiped out due to COVID-19 complications for their opponents, including what would have been a signature non-conference game against 13th- ranked Tennessee last Friday.

It gets no easier this week. Notre Dame hosts No. 23 Ohio State Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2) as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Irish are then scheduled to head south to Lexington, Kentucky, to tip-off against perennial power Kentucky Saturday afternoon inside Rupp Arena.

“We were excited,” Laszewski said of the Irish's daunting December gauntlet. “We hadn't played a game against a different opponent for months since back at the ACC Tournament. I think we were really excited.

“As we go forward, hopefully those games stay in our schedule and we look forward to them.”

 
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