Box Score

Notre Dame, Ind. - Host Notre Dame used a 28-5, second-half run to break open a close game in an 81-61 win over Loyola this afternoon at Purcell Pavilion in Notre Dame, Ind. Donte Ingram and Tyson Smith posted season-highs of 12 points apiece to lead Loyola, which drops to 5-4 with the loss. The Fighting Irish move to 7-2 with the victory.

"We came out, played hard and scored the first four points of the second half to get within two," said head coach Porter Moser. "I thought they did a nice job changing their defense a little bit and it went from two to 14 in a heartbeat, it felt like. Being small inside, I thought that our trapping had to be better than their ball movement out of the trap and, for the most part, they did a better job than we did and then they knocked down shots (10-for-20 from three-point range) on top of it."

Four free throws and a three-pointer staked Notre Dame to an early 7-3 lead but five points from Devon Turk and an Earl Peterson three-pointer forged an 11-11 tie five minutes into the game. Notre Dame pushed the lead back out to seven on a pair of free throws at the 8:35 mark but a Ben Richardson three-pointer and two-pointers from Julius Rajala and Peterson pulled the Ramblers even at 25 with just over five minutes left in the period. A 12-2 run gave ND its first double-digit lead of the game but Loyola closed the half strong. Peterson scored, and was fouled, with 22 seconds left to cut the deficit to six. He missed the ensuing free throw but the Ramblers secured the offensive rebound and Richardson hit a jumper at the buzzer to make it a 40-34 game at halftime. Loyola shot 45% in the half - compared to 57% from the hosts - but knocked down six three-pointers to help negate a 9-0 Notre Dame edge at the free throw line.

Rajala opened the second half with a bucket and Milton Doyle hit Peterson for an alley-oop slam to make it a 40-38 game just over 90 seconds into the period. Steve Vasturia answered with a three-pointer and that jumpstarted the game-changing run, as the Ramblers went 2-for-15 with five turnovers over a 12-minute stretch.

Notre Dame finished the game shooting at a 58% clip overall, including a 10-for-20 performance from downtown. Loyola was terrific from the outside, knocking down 11-of-24 (46%) from the arc but hit just 14-of-34 (41%) from two-point range to finish at 43% as a team. The free throw line was also a telling factor, as Notre Dame outscored the Ramblers, 19-0, from the stripe.

Ingram and Smith came off the bench to lead the Ramblers with 12 points apiece, with Smith finishing 4-of-7 from distance and Ingram ripping down a team-high five rebounds. Despite struggling with his shot, Doyle narrowly missed a double-double, posting eight points (3-12 FGs) and a season-high nine assists. Peterson and Richardson added seven points each. Bonzie Colson and Matt Ryan led Notre Dame with 14 points.

The Ramblers return home and open up a three-game, pre-Christmas homestand on Wednesday night against Cleveland State. Tip-off from Gentile Arena is set for 7 p.m.