Notre Dame basketball: Blake Wesley sets record as Irish beat Howard

Jan 17, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Blake Wesley (0) dunks the ball against the Howard Bison during the first half at Burr Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 17, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Blake Wesley (0) dunks the ball against the Howard Bison during the first half at Burr Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Notre Dame basketball team has a star in true freshman Blake Wesley, who set a record during the team’s win against Howard on Monday.

In a Martin Luther King Day battle against Howard, the Notre Dame basketball team won their 11th game of the season, beating the Bison by the score of 71-68. The game looked to be over late in the second half, but a bunch of Irish turnovers allowed the Bison to go on a run, scoring ten straight.

However, the Irish were able to take care of business on the road, moving their record to 11-6 on the season, and get them in the right direction heading into an ACC matchup against Louisville this weekend. Once again, the Irish had a balanced attack, led by forward Nate Laszewski, who posted a double-double by scoring 13 points and pulling down 17 rebounds.

Not to be outdone, true freshman star Blake Wesley etched his name in the record books for the Irish.

Blake Wesley is now in the Notre Dame basketball record books

During the game, Wesley notched 13 points, and with that, passed Troy Murphy for the most double-digit games in scoring as a true freshman. It has been an outstanding first season for Wesley, one that has pushed him up draft boards everywhere, and could lead to him being a one-and-done player for head coach Mike Brey.

With their 11th win of the season, the Irish remain in fourth-place in the ACC and have already passed their win total from a year ago. The Irish finished 10-14 last season in a COVID-shortened season, before losing in the second round of the ACC Tournament.

The Irish have a real chance to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament this season, but there is a lot of work to do before then. Lousiville is going to be a good test for them, but the Cardinals have lost three straight, though they will be at home in this one.