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| A.J. Rudowitz had a very efficient game for the Skyhawks, registering 17 points and six rebounds in Stonehill's 79-47 loss at Notre Dame. |
Fighting Irish Pull Away In Second Half
Notre Dame, Ind. - After a hotly contested first half that saw Stonehill lead by as many as four and never trail by more than five, Notre Dame outscored the visiting Skyhawks 50-23 in the second half to cruise to a 79-47 exhibition win in front of 9,232 fans at the Edmund P. Joyce Center on Sunday afternoon.
The Fighting Irish held Stonehill to 28 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes, including a frigid 2-for-15 from behind the arc.
A 12-4 Irish run sparked by Tory Jackson bumped Notre Dame's five point halftime lead up to 13 at 41-28, an a short time later a 18-8 run put the game out of reach at 61-39 with less than nine minutes left.
The second half was a stark contrast to the first where the Skyhawks proved to be the more aggressive team lead by the interior play of junior A.J. Rudowitz (Monroe Township, N.J.). There were four ties and three lead changes as Stonehill was able to control the pace with a deliberate slow down approach.
With their overall team length however, Notre Dame was able to score nine second chance points and control the glass during the first half when Stonehill held them to 37 percent shooting. For the game, the Irish held sizable advantages in both categories (rebounds, 48-30) (second chance points, 21-5).
All-American Luke Harangody led the way for Notre Dame with 21 points and 10 rebounds (both game highs), while Jackson chipped in with 15 points and seven caroms. Luke Zeller, a 6-11 forward who was 2-for-4 from three-point land, had 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes.
Rudowitz paced the Skyhawks with 17 points and six rebounds, the lone Stonehill player to reach double figures. Nick Smith (Colonia, N.J.) had eight points, while Matt Hall (Springfield, Mass.) added seven points and six rebounds.
The Skyhawks open their regular season next Saturday with a 5:00 p.m. tipoff against Queens (N.Y.) at Merkert Gymnasium.