Notre Dame started on cruise control and ended on its last fumes. It was, though, still enough for a needed win.
The Irish beat Kentucky 64-63 Saturday, improving to 2-2 on the season. Kentucky center Olivier Sarr’s potential go-ahead baseline jumper clanged off the rim at the buzzer, sealing Notre Dame’s first win at Rupp Arena in school history.
Here are some observations from the game.
•Take a moment to marvel at the idea anyone could score 16 second-half points in a game at Rupp Arena and win. Even against a Kentucky team that was 1-3 on the season with losses to Richmond and Georgia Tech.
•The first half was a shining example of experience meaning everything after an unusual offseason. Notre Dame trumps Kentucky there. The second half was a reminder of Kentucky’s superior depth and athleticism. Being old matters. So does having raw talent. Both had their moments in revealing their importance.
•Kentucky has stumbled in November and December only to emerge just fine late in the year, but the Wildcats are 1-4 and have a long journey ahead to resembling a top-25 team. Notre Dame has nothing to apologize for, though. This is one the Irish needed after bungling a prime chance at a home win over Ohio State on Tuesday.
•What we saw early is Notre Dame’s starting five just knowing how to play together. They know each other’s tendencies, strengths and idiosyncrasies. Kentucky spent the first half guessing on both ends, a mess of quizzical glances and shrugs after miscommunications and easy plays that weren’t made. Notre Dame averaged 1.5 points per possession and was turnover-less for the first 11 minutes.
•The second half, though, had plenty of similarities to Notre Dame’s season-opening loss at Michigan State. A lot of aimless dribbling. Difficulty creating open shots against a more athletic defense. Notre Dame had two made baskets and seven turnovers in the first 12 minutes of the second half. When it did generate open 3s, it missed them. Notre Dame had one assist in the first 16:23 of the second half and didn’t score in the half-court or off its first shot for more than 13 minutes.
•Point guard Prentiss Hubb had five of Notre Dame’s 12 second-half turnovers and no points in the first 13:05 of the half. He will see Kentucky guard Devin Askew in his sleep.
•Hubb also scored nine of Notre Dame’s final 11 points and snapped the Irish 9:27 scoring drought. No question who the go-to is. For better or worse, he’s fearless.
•Notre Dame primarily played variations of zone defense in the first half, daring Kentucky to shoot and make 3s. The Wildcats took them. They made few of them. They were 1-for-13 from deep in the first half, with the lone make a banked-in wide open look against a zone from the top of the key.
•The Irish spent the second half mostly in the zone too, though some over-help and losing track of men gave Kentucky its share of open looks. Kentucky guard Davion Mintz had a wide open one roll around and out that would’ve sliced Notre Dame’s lead to 53-41 with 12:52 left. All told, the Wildcats were 4-for-10 on 3s after halftime. Notre Dame shifted to man for its final defensive possession.
•Center Juwan Durham ran into foul trouble for the second straight game, with two handsy fouls in the first 10 minutes of the game. He picked up a third not three minutes into the second half when defending Sarr. Kentucky went right at him with Sarr with some success. Durham lost track of him on a dive to the bucket a couple possessions before fouling him. He avoided further foul trouble, grabbed four rebounds and contested Sarr’s final shot.
•Notre Dame’s 22-2 run in the first half featured five 3-pointers from five different players. When Mike Brey discusses the need for balance from Notre Dame’s starters, look no further than that stretch.
•That’s two straight games with empty possessions in the final seconds for Notre Dame where no one else but Hubb touched the ball. Those were proceeded by two turnovers before the half-court line.
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