Dec. 8, 2007

Box Score

Notre Dame 108, Northern Illinois 62 in PDF Format

Notre Dame, Ind. - Notre Dame had four players score in double-figures, shot a blistering 62.1% (36-for-58) from the floor and 56.0% (14-for-25) from three-point range as the Fighting Irish set the school-record with 25 consecutive home victories on their way to the 108-62 non-conference triumph over Northern Illinois at the Joyce Center on Saturday night.

ND junior guard Kyle McAlarney (5 treys) and senior forward Rob Kurz each led the Fighting Irish with 17 points. Sophomore forward Luke Harangody added a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds, followed by 11 points from junior guard Ryan Ayers.

"This is the first time I've coached in a game where the managers came in and made shots," NIU head men's basketball coach Ricardo Patton said. "Everyone made shots for them. You've got to give Notre Dame credit. They're a good basketball team."

With the victory, Notre Dame improves to 7-2 overall, while the Huskies drop to 2-6 on the campaign.

NIU freshman guard Michael Patton (Boulder, Colo./Boulder/Solebury School) drained four three-pointers for a team-best 12 points. The Huskies tied a season-high with seven three-pointers on the evening.

Huskie senior forward Shaun Logan (Eldridge, Iowa/North Scott/Kirkwood C.C.) chipped in 10 points, while teammate Michael Hart (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook/Carthage College) added nine points and six rebounds in the defeat.

The first eight minutes of the contest proved to be a shoot-out as the Fighting Irish held a 24-18 lead with 12:18 remaining, following a lay-up by NIU freshman guard Jeremy Landers (Milwaukee, Wis./Murphysboro/Genesis One (MS)).

ND, however, went on a 16-4 run, led by nine points from Kurz, to put the remainder of the game firmly in control of the Fighting Irish.

"We scored early in the game too," Patton said. "It wasn't a runaway game, but the floodgates burst when they started raining threes. We were lost in transition."

The Huskies are back in action on Saturday, December 15, as they travel to Chicago to square off with Loyola for a 7 p.m. tip-off at the Gentile Center.

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