ND MENS BASKETBALL: Irish show growing pains, rise about Niagara 70-63 in home opener

Nov. 6—SOUTH BEND — First year head coach Micah Shrewsberry probably wished for an easier start to his coaching career, but Notre Dame shrugged off a slow first half for a season opening 70-63 win over Niagara at Purcell Pavilion Monday night.

"I just talked to our guys in the locker room and I just said winning is hard man," Shrewsberry said after his first win as the Irish's head coach. "I've been part of teams that have lost a lot and part of teams that have won a lot. When we walk in that locker room, no matter what the score is, no matter how you play and how much you play, you celebrate a win."

The Irish, who were without sophomore 6-foot-10 forward Kebba Njie due to a hand injury suffered Saturday in practice, stepped up and were led by a record performance from freshman Markus Burton.

2023's Indiana Mr. Basketball winner scored 29 points — 18 in the second half — to lead the young team in scoring. It was the most by a freshman in his Irish debut.

"I felt like he struggled early," Shrewsberry said. "He showed his toughness when he just kept going."

"My team trusts me to do what I do," Burton said. "My coaching staff trusts me to do what I do too and when you got everybody behind you, you don't have to worry about anything. I was just out there having fun and doing what it took to help my team win a game."

Notre Dame, which also received fine first-game performances from freshman Carey Booth off the bench (10 points, 9 rebounds) and junior guard Julian Roper (9 points, 4 rebounds), was down by as much as 12 in the opening half.

Shrewsberry club finished 3-for-17 from distance Monday night and missed their first 11 tries before a make from his son, Braeden, finally found nylon to even the game at 38 at the 14-minute mark of the second period.

After a Purple Eagle timeout, Carey Booth who came off the bench drain a second triple and gave Notre Dame it's first lead of the game at 41-40 with 13 minutes to go.

At that point, the Irish had settled in and were without much trouble the rest of the way, extending into the 70-63 win.

Shrewsberry understood the youth of his team and how it matched up against a Niagara roster full of transfers and fifth-year returners.

"I didn't come in here thinking we were gonna beat Niagara by 40 points," Shrewsberry said. "I knew how good Niagara was gonna be and I knew how young we are."

"Every game is gonna be tough for us; we don't have a huge margin for error," Shrewsberry added.

While the new group of freshman bundled in to the starting lineup and throughout the roster, the new blood was evident early by Burton admitting that the group "was excited early."

"I thought to start the game that every shot we took was trying to be a 10-point shot," Shrewsberry said. "We were so wound up and so tight and when they started scoring, we tried to hit 10-pointers and that's not how you win."

The Irish were short on shots throughout the night as the front of the rim punished attempts inside the arc. Notre Dame had shot 7-for-20 in the games first 13 minutes.

Defensively, the slow style from the visitors made an impression and helped the Purple Eagles hold the lead for the entire first half, going into the break up 30-29.

Burton was impressed with his coach who molded his group's mind at the half.

"At halftime, coach Shrews just told us like we gotta lock in and fight and when he said that, all of us, not just me [but] the whole starting five, we went out that second half and showed fight," Burton said.

Throughout the game, the battled on the boards was evenly spread out. There was just one offensive board in the first half for the Irish. The loss of Njie's lengthy presence was evident.

"Your team gets better when you go through tough teams together. It's one thing to be running steps of the stadium in July, but it's another thing to be down in the home opener and you got to grind it out a win."

"I feel like this is just the beginning for us," Roper said. "We beat a good team tonight and I think we just got to go back and keep working. I think we showed what we are capable of and what we can do better and hopefully do throughout the season."

Still, a win was the biggest importance for Shrewsberry who inherits a team largely new to the college basketball landscape. The Irish weren't dominant, but they were enough to capture win No. 1 on the season.

Notre Dame (1-0) returns home Saturday to face Western Carolina (1-0) out of the Southern Conference. That game tips off at 2 p.m. at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Niagara — 30; 33 — 63

Notre Dame — 29; 41 — 70

IRISH INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Italics = starters

Julian Roper II — 9pts, 4reb, 1ast

Markus Burton — 29pts, 4reb, 4ast

Braeden Shrewsberry — 7pts, 1reb, 1ast

Tae Davis — 5pts, 5reb, 1stl

Matt Zona — 2pt, 5reb, 1ast

Carey Booth — 10pts, 9reb, 1ast

Logan Imes — 4pts, 3reb, 1ast, 1stl

J.R. Konieczny — 4pts, 2reb, 1stl

RECORDS

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-0)

Niagara Purple Eagles (0-1)

Reach Matt Lucas at 574-533-2151, ext. 240325, or at matt.lucas@goshennews.com.