• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Irish beat up Stetson

Nov 10, 2013 - 11:14 PM South Bend, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - Garrick Sherman scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds, leading 21st-ranked Notre Dame to an easy 80-49 win over Stetson at the Joyce Center.

Jerian Grant added 15 points and six assists for the Fighting Irish (2-0), who opened the season Friday with a 12-point win over Miami-Ohio.

Sherman made 7-of-11 shots and Grant connected on 4-of-6. The Irish shot 56.1 percent overall and connected on 9-of-17 from beyond the arc.

Freshman Brian Pegg finished with a team-high 13 points for Stetson (0-2), which dropped a 71-51 decision at Clemson in its opener on Friday.

Speaking of Pegg's performance, Stetson head coach Corey Williams said, "I think he's the one kid that plays hard the entire game. I think he's a good energy boost for us off the bench, but he's one of the guys I have to have in the lineup for the entire game."

The Irish opened the game on a 17-3 run, highlighted by Pat Connaughton, who scored eight points on 3-of-3 shooting.

"What I was really happy about this afternoon was that our older guys got off to such a good start. It allowed me to play our younger guys long minutes and together in a game situation, which is just a great experience for them," said Irish head coach Mike Brey.

Stetson then called a timeout at 14:33 and scored eight unanswered to pull within six, but that would be as close as the Hatters would get to a comeback.

Eric Atkins hit a 3-pointer, which sparked a 34-10 run to close the half, giving the Irish a comfortable 51-21 lead heading into the break.

Notre Dame shot a blistering 64 percent from beyond the arc in the opening stanza, making 9-of-14 attempts.

The Irish cruised in the second half, leading by as many as 35 points.

Game Notes

Connaughton finished with 10 points and six rebounds ... Atkins scored eight for the Irish ... Notre Dame attempted only three 3-pointers in the second half, and missed each one ... The Irish will play Indiana State next Sunday.