Jackson Scores Career High on Banner Night for Notre Dame

The Notre Dame men’s basketball team began its ACC title defense on Friday night with a dominating 87-56 win at home against St. Francis (Pa.) behind Demetrius Jackson’s career-high 27 points.

Before tip-off, a banner was raised in Purcell Pavilion to commemorate the first ever ACC tournament title for the Fighting Irish, but head coach Mike Brey told his team to quickly put the past behind them.

“I told our guys before the game, ‘You know the Golden State Warriors dropped a banner and then just played their backsides off to start the next season,'” Brey said. “Can we be men enough and focused enough to be a little bit like them?”

The Irish did just that, and Jackson took it upon himself to set the tone. The junior point guard made 10 of 14 field goals, including three from behind the arc, while bringing down eight rebounds. His career night was highlighted by a two-handed jam in the lane while getting fouled, showcasing athleticism rarely seen from a 6-foot-1 player.

Nov 13, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Zach Auguste (30) goes up for a shot in the second half against the St. Francis Red Flash at the Purcell Pavilion. Notre Dame won 87-56. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Senior forward Zach Auguste also made his presence felt in the paint, recording a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds. At 6-foot-10, Auguste knows that he will need to have games like that every time the Irish step onto the floor in order for them to win games.

Junior guard Steve Vasturia, who also figures to be a major contributor for the Irish this season, added 10 points, four rebounds and three steals.

Notre Dame got off to a bit of a slow start in this game, which is to be expected in the season-opener, trailing St. Francis 11-10 with 12:37 left to play in the first half. Yet, in the last 10 minutes of the half the Irish outscored the Red Flash 19-10, and they continued in the first 10 minutes of the second half with a 21-9 run. The lead continued to grow the rest of the way as St. Francis was held scoreless for a stretch of nearly five minutes and Notre Dame racked up a 53-31 rebounding advantage.

Notre Dame is now 16-0 in season openers, and 58-1 at home in November under Brey. The Irish will look to add to that home record on Tuesday as they host Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Check out all the highlights from the game below.