SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Stanford delivered an efficient offensive performance Wednesday night, defeating Notre Dame 86-78 to secure its third consecutive victory.
Leading the way for the Cardinal was Ebuka Okorie, who scored 24 points and orchestrated the offense with seven assists. Jeremy Dent-Smith added 21 points, knocking down five shots from beyond the arc and converting four free throws in the closing moments to help Stanford hold off a late push from the Fighting Irish.
Stanford took control midway through the first half and never relinquished the lead, though Notre Dame kept the pressure on throughout the second half. The Cardinal stretched their advantage to 11 points during the final period and appeared in command, but the Fighting Irish trimmed the deficit to three points twice in the final two minutes.
Each time Notre Dame threatened, Stanford responded. Jaylen Thompson and Dent-Smith hit timely three-pointers to halt the rally before Dent-Smith sealed the win from the free-throw line.
The Cardinal were highly efficient on offense, shooting 57 percent from the field (32-of-56) and connecting on 12 of their 23 attempts from three-point range.
AJ Rohosy chipped in 11 points for Stanford while Donavin Young added 10. With the win, the Cardinal improved to 19-11 overall and 8-9 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
Notre Dame was led by Jalen Haralson, who scored 19 points while going 13-of-15 from the free-throw line. Cole Certa added 17 points, and Braeden Shrewsberry contributed 14. The trio combined for six of the Irish’s nine three-pointers on the night.
Stanford built momentum early, shooting an impressive 69 percent from the field in the first half. Okorie scored 13 of his points before halftime and made all three of his attempts from beyond the arc, helping the Cardinal carry a 45-37 lead into the break. Haralson and Shrewsberry paced Notre Dame in the opening half with nine points apiece.
The Cardinal pushed their lead to its largest margin of the night, 64-53, with just over nine minutes remaining before Notre Dame’s late surge narrowed the gap.
Up Next:
Stanford will wrap up the regular season Saturday on the road against North Carolina State, while Notre Dame travels to face Boston College in its season finale.
