Irish slip past Bearcats
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jerian Grant led five Notre Dame players in double figures with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting as the 17th- ranked Fighting Irish knocked off No. 21 Cincinnati, 66-60, in a Big East battle on Monday at Fifth Third Arena.
Scott Martin knocked down four three-pointers for 12 points, while Jack Cooley added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Fighting Irish (14-1, 2-0 Big East), who have won 12 in a row since a loss to Saint Joseph's on Nov. 16.
Eric Atkins donated 10 points and six assists and Pat Connaughton finished with 10 points and six rebounds in the victory.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I'm really proud of my team. The toughness that we had to display both physically and mentally against an unbelievable defense, for us to be that efficient against that defense I think really was the difference," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said.
Sean Kilpatrick was the only Bearcats player to score in double figures with 15 points as Cincinnati (13-3, 1-2) has lost two straight since a win over Pittsburgh on New Year's Eve.
After Ge'Lawn Guyn nailed a 3-pointer to give the Bearcats a 47-45 lead with 12:23 to play, Notre Dame seized control of the contest
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Grant put home a layup on Notre Dame's next possession, igniting the visitors on a 14-2 outburst. Connaughton finished the surge with a layup, giving the Irish a 59-49 lead with 5:43 to go.
Cincinnati stayed within striking distance down the stretch, and a Cheikh Mbodj slam pulled the hosts to within 64-60 with 23 seconds on the clock. But Connaughton made good on a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left and the Irish held on for the win.
"Notre Dame played a great game so give them a lot of credit," Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said. "It was a great college basketball game, definitely, but I'm not happy with the loss."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The sides traded baskets early on, with a three-point play by Atkins giving the Irish a 9-7 lead with 13:54 to play in the first half. Cincinnati roared back to grab control with a 13-2 burst capped by a JaQuon Parker trey that gave the hosts a 20-11 advantage.
Notre Dame then connected on three consecutive 3-pointers to quickly tie the game at 20-20 with just over five minutes to play before the break.
Cooley split a pair from the line later on to give the Irish a 27-26 edge, and they carried a 32-28 margin into the locker room at halftime.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Notre Dame led by eight, 40-32, early in the second half, but Kilpatrick led a spurt that pulled the Bearcats within 45-44 before Guyn's trey put Cincinnati in front.
Game Notes
The 12 straight victories marks Notre Dame's longest winning streak since the 2006-07 season ... Monday marked the Irish's first true road game of the campaign ... Notre Dame owns a 9-4 advantage in the all-time series with Cincinnati ... The Irish shot 50 percent from the floor while holding the Bearcats to 46.9 percent.