Irish Dominate Overtime to Win 32nd-Straight Game at Home

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish beat the Providence Friars in overtime 81-74, extending their Joyce Center winning streak to 32 games. Luke Harangody had 31 points- many of which came either in overtime or at the end of regulation- as well as 14 rebounds. The Irish are now 15-4 overall and 5-2 in the Big East. What a game! If you were at the Joyce Center last night, then you got to see probably the most exciting home game of the year. The Irish will now have a very good case to make it into the Top 25 Poll, so we should all watch as the next version of the AP and Coaches polls come out on Monday.

The story of this game seems to have been all free throws. If Providence had been merely adequate at the line, they would have been the first team in months and months to beat Notre Dame at home. Instead, they actually shot 6-16 (37.5%). Compare that to Notre Dame, which shot 22-27 (81.5%). Probably the most blame will fall on Providence’s 6-11 center Ray Hall, who the Irish made sure would get to the line as much as possible in the clutch. The strategy worked. Hall shot 2-10 from the charity stripe, with at least four of those misses coming at the end of regulation and in overtime.

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