Irish Dominate Bearcats to Record 10th BIG EAST Victory

Given a few days to recover after Monday’s comeback at Pittsburgh, the #25 Notre Dame men’s basketball team returned to the friendly confines of Purcell Pavilion on Sunday afternoon against Cincinnati. For the first time in a long time, an Irish victory was never in doubt.

Notre Dame jumped out to a 19-6 lead, and held the Bearcats to just one basket over a span of ten minutes during the first half. After Cincinnati trimmed a 19-point deficit to just nine midway through the second, the Irish went on an 11-2 run in less than three minutes, putting the game out of reach on the way to a 62-41 victory.

Jerian Grant scored 13 points, while Tom Knight (12), Jack Cooley (11) and Eric Atkins (11) also finished in double figures.

Once again, Notre Dame dominated the game on the glass, outrebounding the Bearcats, 43-27. Zach Auguste pulled down a career-high nine rebounds in 12 minutes off the bench.

With the win, Notre Dame improved to 22-6 on the season and 10-5 in BIG EAST play. It marks the fourth straight season in which the team has registered at least 10 conference wins, setting a new program record.

Additionally, Cincinnati’s 41 points are the fewest Notre Dame has ever allowed against a BIG EAST opponent, breaking the mark tied…just six days ago in Pittsburgh (42 points).

The Fighting Irish return to the floor on Saturday at Marquette (2 pm ET).