Notre Dame had lost three in a row with Kentucky coming to town.
As strange as it may sound, that was just what the doctor ordered. The Irish looked focused, especially in the second half as they upset Kentucky 66-62. Notre Dame has won two in a row in the series.
Dane Goodwin (14 points) hit one of the biggest shots of the game as he hit the go ahead midrange jumper with 12 seconds left. South Bend native, Blake Wesley also scored 14 points for the Irish.
Notre Dame’s offense picked up in the second half. The Irish shot 50% in the final 20 minutes. That helped offset Kentucky’s big man Oscar Tshiebwe 25 point, 7 reb0und performance.
As good as Tshiebwe was, the Wildcats shot poorly from the three-point line. They would finish 2-19 from long distance. John Calipari’s response to the struggles from the three-point line was short and to the point. “Let’s hope it’s a fluke.”
Notre Dame was able to control two of the most important aspects of the game. The pace and the boards. Kentucky could never get the game into a track meet. That would’ve helped nullify the poor shooting performance from the three-point line.
The Irish also controlled the boards. Notre Dame outrebounded Kentucky 33-28.
