I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that you’re gearing up for the Gator Bowl game ... but first, Notre Dame Men’s Basketball (7-5) hosts the Jacksonville Dolphins (7-3) at the Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana. The Fighting Irish and the Dolphins have only met once before in December of 2018, with the Irish winning 100-74. Last season the Irish went 14-1 at home, and this year they are off to a 7-2 start. They need a win tonight to fine tune some issues they’ve been having before ACC play resumes on December 30th at home versus Miami. How did the Irish do tonight against the Dolphins? Let’s take a look!
Dec 27, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Marcus Hammond (10) drives to the basket as Jacksonville Dolphins guard Gyasi Powell (10) defends in the first half at the Purcell Pavilion. | Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
The Irish got the first possession of the game but missed their first shot (JJ Starling). The two teams went back and forth, with a bunch of bad passes, and finally Jacksonville got on the board first with a jumper by Omar Payne. Notre Dame answered quickly with a layup and foul by Nate Laszewski who made his free throw shot as well. Jacksonville responded with a layup by Payne, and Jacksonville was up 4-3. (17:14)
Jacksonville made the first three point shot of the game on a jumper by Kevion Nolan. On the next possession Dane Goodwin made his first bucket of the game with a layup. Jacksonville missed a three point try and on the next Irish possession Trey Wertz made a second chance layup to tie the game at 7-7. (15:16) Followed by a media timeout at 14:55.
Coming out of the break Laszewski missed his three point shot, and Jacksonville scored on a layup by Gyasi Powell. Cormac Ryan missed his three point shot and Jacksonville got more points on the board with a layup by Payne. (11-7, Jacksonville) Marcus Hammond missed his three point shot, followed by a media timeout at 11:58. The Irish just can’t seem to get the threes to fall.
Coming out of the media timeout, ND 0 for 8 in three point range, Starling tried for a layup and was blocked. Jacksonville headed to the other end of the court and Dylan O’Hearn sank a three point jumper. Laszewski took the ball to the other end and made a jumper, 14-9 Jacksonville.
Nolan missed a layup for Jacksonville, and Ryan made a bad pass and turned the ball over. Powell missed a three point shot for Jacksonville and at the other end Hammond sank a jumper. Ryan tried again to make a three point shot, and missed, so the Irish are now 0-9 for their three point shots. The Irish stole the ball from Jacksonville and Hammond made a beautiful layup on a fast break. Jacksonville’s Jordan Davis answered with a jumper, and then Hammond made a layup and drew the foul. 16-15 at the media timeout. 7:27) After the break, Hammond missed his foul shot.
Nolan missed a three point shot for Jacksonville, and at the other end Goodwin missed his three point shot. Jacksonville turned the ball over, and Starling tried for a three at the other end and missed. Then Hammond tried for a three and missed. Finally Notre Dame made a three point shot (Dane Goodwin), and the Irish went up by two points, 18-16. Quickly followed by Hammond making a three, and the Irish have their momentum back. 21-16. (Jacksonville timeout, 4:14)
Davis missed a jumper for Jacksonville, and then the Irish got called for an offensive foul (JJ Sterling). On the next Jacksonville possession Jacksonville’s Davis made a three point shot. 21-19 Notre Dame. Nolan missed a jumper, and then Ryan missed a jump shot. Jacksonville got a shot clock violation. Each team missed a couple shots and the half ended with the score 21-19.
First Half Stats
Notre Dame
Field Goals: 9-31 (29%)
Free Throws: 1-2 (50%)
Three Point Shots: 2-16 (13%)
Hammond: 9 points
Goodwin: 5 points
Laszewski: 5 points
Wertz: 2 points
Jacksonville
Field Goals: 8-27 (30%)
Free Throws: 0-0 (0%)
Three Point Shots: 3-9 (33%)
Payne: 6 points
Davis: 5 points
Nolan: 3 points
O’Hearn: 3 points
Powell: 2 points
Second Half
After a very quick, low scoring first half, Jacksonville got the first points on the board on a layup by Payne to tie the game, but Starling quickly responded with a three point shot. Davis sank a turnaround jumper, and at the other end of the court Ryan missed a three point shot. Nolan missed a layup for Jacksonville and then Wertz missed a layup at the other end. Powell stole the ball from Starling and sank a layup at the other end. 25-24 Jacksonville.
Goodwin sank the first three point shot of the half and the Irish go back up by two, but Jacksonville quickly countered with a layup by O’Hearn. Hammond sank a beautiful three, his second of the night, and the Irish are up by three points. Nolan sank a jumper at the other end, and this game remains tight. Personal foul on Laszewski at 14:28, and media timeout. 30-29 Notre Dame.
After the media timeout Jacksonville got on the board first with a layup by Powell. Ven-Allen Lubin missed a layup, and Jacksonville responded with a huge three pointer by Nolan. The Irish countered quickly with a three point shot by Hammond. Hammond then stole the ball back and Ryan sank a layup and got the foul, and made his free throw. Payne stuffed a dunk at the other end and we have a tie game once again. 36-36
Ryan answered with a three point bucket at the other end and his mojo is back. Powell missed a jumper and at the other end Starling quickly sank a layup. Payne missed a hookshot jumper and at the other end Lubin made a layup and the Irish are now up 43-36. Jacksonville called a thirty second timeout, 10:21.
After the break, Jacksonville missed two shots and on the next Irish possession Hammond missed a jump shot. Nolan missed a three point jumper, and the Irish responded with a Goodwin layup. The Irish lead is now nine points, on a 9-0 run.
After the media timeout, Wertz missed a three, and Jacksonville responded with a layup by Powell. Dane Goodwin responded with a quick jumper and the Irish are back up by nine. Wertz tried for a three and missed, but Notre Dame got the rebound and Wertz made a driving second chance layup. On the next Jacksonville possession Goodwin got the steal but Starling couldn’t sink the layup. Lubin fouled Powell, who headed to the free throw line and made both of his shots. The Irish are up by nine with just five minutes to go, 49-40.
On the next Irish possession Starling made a driving layup. Nolan then turned the ball over for Jacksonville, and at the other end Hammond missed his three point shot. Then Nolan was fouled and made one of his free throw shots. Starling made a layup at the other end along with drawing the foul. Media timeout, 3:50 remaining.
Coming out of the break, Starling missed his foul shot, but even with the miss the Irish are up by 12, 53-41. Notre Dame has been much better in their man-to-man coverage in the second half. Nolan tried to make a layup but was too strong and Notre Dame got the ball back and Wertz made a jumper. Jacksonville called a thirty second timeout hoping to slow down the Irish. (2:16 remaining)
Starling sank a layup with 1:51 left in the game and the Irish are now up by 16 points. Goodwin then fouled Powell who went to the line and made both of his foul shots. 57-43, Notre Dame.
Tony Sanders Jr made a dribbling turnover, and Jacksonville couldn’t turn their possession into points. Matt Zona entered the game and got his first points on a layup and that finished the game. Final score 59-43, Notre Dame.
Second Half Stats
Notre Dame
Field Goals: 25-62 (40%)
Free Throws: 2-4 (50%)
Three Point Shots: 7-27 (26%)
Hammond: 15 points
Goodwin: 12 points
Starling: 11 points
Wertz: 6 points
Ryan: 6 points
Jacksonville
Field Goals: 17-49 (35%)
Free Throws: 5-6 (83%)
Three Point Shots: 4-15 (27%)
Notre Dame’s next game is on Friday, December 30th, at 2pm ET, against Miami, at Purcell Pavilion.
Cheers & GO IRISH!
