Notre Dame Holds On Late, Beats Kentucky

Notre Dame held on to beat Kentucky after a 24-point lead turned into just a 1-point lead

For the second straight game Notre Dame blew a big second-half lead, but this time the Fighting Irish held on to beat Kentucky, 64-63.

When head coach Mike Brey put out the 2020-21 schedule, the early portion made Irish fans do a double take. There was a road trip to East Lansing to take on Michigan State, home games against Tennessee and Ohio State, and then, of course, there was the road trip to Rupp Arena to take on the Wildcats.

Kentucky was only 1-3 coming into Saturday, but John Calipari’s squad is still loaded with young players that will eventually be first-round NBA draft picks. Notre Dame, however, was not intimidated.

After the teams traded early baskets, the Irish caught fire. Led by junior forward Nate Laszewski, who scored 19 points in the first half, Notre Dame used a 19-0 run to break the game open. An early 5-5 tie eventually became a 33-9 Notre Dame lead. Laszewski’s inside-out game was on display as he hit five total field goals—including two triples—and was a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line.

Notre Dame protected the ball so much better in the first half of this game, not turning the ball over until just inside of the 9:00 mark. The Irish are averaging a little over 9 turnovers per game. Defensively, Notre Dame converted seven Kentucky turnovers into 15 first-half points.

Kentucky was 1 for 13 from three in the opening half, while the Irish were 6 for 11 from beyond the arc and 16-27 from the field overall.

Everything changed in the second half, and the Irish offense disappeared. Although Notre Dame held on for the win, it was more about outlasting Kentucky, which simply ran out of time.

At one point, the Fighting Irish went an astonishing 12 minutes without scoring a single basket. The Kentucky defense turned the game around, forcing Notre Dame into 12 turnovers, and the Wildcats scored 17 off of those turnovers. Kentucky dominated in the paint in the second half thanks to Wake Forest transfer Olivier Sarr, who scored 22 points, including 14 in the second half.

Sarr out-played Irish big man Juwan Durham throughout the day finishing with 22 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Durham had as many fouls (4) as he had points (4) and rebounds (4).

The Wildcats used a 16-0 run of their own to turn a 48-26 Notre Dame halftime lead into a 53-49 game. Notre Dame seemed to find its rhythm when point guard Prentiss Hubb knocked down a triple and went to the rim to put the lead to 62-53 with 2:15 left in the game, but the offense once again disappeared as turnovers again became a factor.

Freshman guard Brandon Boston Jr.—Kentucky’s top scorer—knocked down a three-pointer to end the mini-Irish run, and senior Davion Mintz scored following a Hubb turnover and was fouled on the play. His made free throw made it a 62-59 game. Another Hubb turnover allowed Kentucky to make it a 62-61 game with just 1:31 left in the game.

The Irish lead guard answered with a driving layup to extend the lead, but Sarr answered with a jumper to make it 64-63.

Instead of running a set on the other end, Notre Dame had Hubb dribble the clock down before hoisting up a rushed three-pointer that was blocked. Kentucky had a chance at a game-winner, but the Irish defense came through and Sarr missed a baseline jumper over Durham while the Wildcats' made put-back came after the buzzer sounded.

Notre Dame had more turnovers in the second half (12) than it had made baskets (7). The Irish went just 7 for 25 from the field and 1 for 10 from deep in the final 20 minutes.

Laszewski scored just two points in the second half, and finished with 21 points and nine rebounds. Hubb was the only other Irish player in double figures with 18 points, but he had five turnovers. Hubb and Laszewski went 14-27 from the field. The rest of the Irish roster went just 9-25.

Sarr led the Wildcats with 22 points, while Boston and Terrence Clarke each scored 14 points.

Notre Dame (2-2) returns to action Wednesday when it hosts the #10 Duke Blue Devils (2-2). The game is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET and will be aired on ESPN. Duke recently canceled the remainder of its non-conference schedule after getting crushed 83-68 by Illinois.

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