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Notre Dame basketball: Irish hold on against Louisville, move to first in ACC

By Brad Weiss

Feb 9, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Blake Wesley (0) dribbles as Louisville Cardinals guard Jarrod West (13) defends in the first half at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 9, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Blake Wesley (0) dribbles as Louisville Cardinals guard Jarrod West (13) defends in the first half at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Notre Dame basketball team was able to hang on against the Louisville Cardinals on Wednesday night, staking claim to first place in the ACC.

For a while on Wednesday night, it looked like the Notre Dame football team was going to run away from the Lousiville Cardinals. Louisville came into the game as losers of five straight, with their losing streak starting when Notre Dame beat them on the road back on January 22.

However, despite the Irish being up 14 points late in the first half, the Cardinals would not go away, and they would actually take the lead 55-54 with 6:41 left in regulation. From there, it was all Irish, as they outscored the Cardinals 9-2 to close out the game, beating Louisville by the score of 63-57.

It was a Prentiss Hubb three-pointer late in the second half that turned the game back in favor of the Notre Dame basketball team, as he broke an 0-5 slump from beyond the arc up until that point. The Irish were the better team in this one, and while Louisville made a nice run, Notre Dame basketball is clearly one of the best teams in the ACC.

Now, they are the first-place Irish.

This has been a team that has done a nice job closing out games in recent weeks, and on Wednesday, they once again needed to prove to be the better team down the stretch.

Notre Dame basketball continues their NCAA Tournament push

For the Notre Dame basketball team, Wednesday night’s victory was another solid mark in their NCAA Tournament resume. To be in first place in the ACC at this point in the season is a testament to how consistent this team has been since star true freshman Blake Wesley entered the starting lineup in their win against Kentucky.

They have beaten some of the top teams in the country, including the Wildcats, and in a conference where possibly five-to-seven teams could make the tournament, the Irish stand alone atop the standings on February 9. Unless they completely implode down the stretch, you have to think they are getting close to being a lock for March Madness.

It was a Prentiss Hubb three-pointer late in the second half that turned the game back in favor of the Notre Dame basketball team, as he broke an 0-5 slump from beyond the arc up until that point. The Irish were the better team in this one, and while Louisville made a nice run, Notre Dame basketball is clearly one of the best teams in the ACC.

Now, they are the first-place Irish.