Irish Dominate Deacons: Notre Dame Secures Commanding Victory at Lawrence Joel Coliseum
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish, ranked 19th, delivered a decisive performance against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons with a final score of 75-56. The Fighting Irish's season record now stands at an impressive tally, while the Demon Deacons' record reflects their struggle to keep pace. The game unfolded at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in front of 1,566 attendees.
The Fighting Irish established dominance early on with a strong first quarter lead and maintained their momentum throughout the game. Their offensive execution was nearly flawless; they shot an impressive 52 percent from the field and an outstanding 56 percent from beyond the arc. The team also capitalized on free throw opportunities, converting them at a rate of 79 percent.
Defensively, Notre Dame was just as formidable. They outrebounded the Demon Deacons with a total of 33 rebounds to their opponent's 21. Of these, six were offensive boards that helped create second-chance scoring opportunities resulting in seven additional points for the team. The defensive effort by the Irish limited Wake Forest to just a mere four fast break points and only two second-chance points.
Notre Dame's tenacity was also evident in their defensive playmaking; they amassed ten steals which contributed to eighteen points off turnovers. This aggressive defense disrupted Wake Forest's flow and forced them into committing more personal fouls (13) compared to Notre Dame’s nine.
The standout statistic for Notre Dame was their assists-turnover ratio which stood at an efficient ratio of 1.27 thanks to nineteen assists against sixteen turnovers committed during playtime spanning three hours and twenty minutes.
On offense, contributions were widespread but it was particularly notable that half of their field goals came from inside paint where they scored twenty-four points demonstrating effective interior play alongside perimeter shooting prowess.
Looking ahead for fans of the Fighting Irish is another home game scheduled against Syracuse Orange on January 25th at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana. This encounter will be broadcasted live over ACC Network Extra starting promptly at 7:00 PM Eastern Time as per schedule allowing fans not able to attend another opportunity to follow their team’s progress this season.