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Notre Dame Basketball: Irish Barely Escaped Princeton

By Noah Strackbein

Mar 16, 2017; Buffalo, NY, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Matt Farrell (5) shoots a layup against Princeton Tigers forward Steven Cook (25) in the second half during the first round of the NCAA Tournament at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2017; Buffalo, NY, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Matt Farrell (5) shoots a layup against Princeton Tigers forward Steven Cook (25) in the second half during the first round of the NCAA Tournament at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /
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In a game much closer than Notre Dame basketball had hoped for, the Irish defeat Princeton in the opening round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

Behind Matt Farrell’s 16 points and five assists, Notre Dame used their defense to secure the win against Princeton. Snapping the Tigers’ 19-game winning streak, the Fighting Irish used every offensive possession they could get to escape this first-round game barely.

Bonzie Colson may not have had the game many believed he would, but using his size and athleticism, he contributed 18 points and seven rebounds, winning the game in the post once again.

This game wasn’t what Notre Dame expected. After coming out strong, the Irish seemed to relax in the second half, allowing Princeton to bring the game within one with 10 seconds left. But thanks to one last strong defensive push, Notre Dame was able to hold off and send Steve Vasturia to the free throw line to close out the win.

Matt Farrell led the way with 16 points, five assists, and two steals. His three three-points and 6-9 shooting was the Irish’s biggest factor offensively. After the game, Mike Brey told reporters he wanted the ball in Farrell’s hands down the stretch. As the leader of this team, the junior point guard carried his unit to victory once more this season.

Princeton’s struggles on the offensive end hurt them late in the second half. Shooting 8-31 from deep, the Tigers relied heavily on the long ball but were unable to get anything going. It seemed that when the shots wouldn’t fall, they began to force anything they could find from deep. Unfortunately, they couldn’t hit the last shot to give them the win over Notre Dame.

Steve Vasturia contributed to the win by adding 10 points and eight rebounds. Despite his poor shooting day, V.J. Beachem added six rebounds and a steal in the win.

Next: Notre Dame Can Dominate the West Region

Notre Dame will take on the winner of #4 West Virginia and #13 Bucknell in the round of 32. This game tips off at 2:30 pm ET on CBS. The Irish will take on the winner Saturday, March 18 in Buffalo, New York.