Observations: Notre Dame handles Clemson, wins fourth straight ACC road game

Notre Dame left little doubt in this one.

The Irish beat Clemson 76-61 Saturday night, leading for 39 minutes in one of their more thorough takedowns of the season. They shot 52.7 percent from the field and 13-of-24 (54.2 percent) on three-pointers.

With the win, Notre Dame (18-7, 11-3 ACC) remained tied with Duke for first place in the ACC standings. The Irish held an opponent to 65 or fewer points for the seventh straight game, moved to 6-1 in their last seven road games and are 14-2 since a Dec. 18 loss to Indiana.

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“We feel we have a chance,” head coach Mike Brey said. “We’re chasing the guys from Durham for the regular-season title.”

Guard Blake Wesley scored a team-high 21 points. Guard Dane Goodwin added 20.

Clemson (12-13, 4-10) shot 42.6 percent and has lost four straight.

Here are three observations from the game.

BOX SCORE

1. Notre Dame’s defensive plan works

Notre Dame rolled out the same defensive game plan it used to beat Clemson 72-56 on Jan. 12. The Irish wanted to prevent the Tigers – who came in ranked 20^th nationally in three-point percentage – from pouring in perimeter shots. They were willing to give their forwards one-on-one post opportunities in exchange.

Just like last time, it worked. Clemson took 30 shots in the first half, and only nine were three-pointers (just two went in). The second-half numbers were nearly identical (31 shots, 3-of-9 on three-pointers).

On the other hand, forwards P.J. Hall, Naz Bohannon and Ian Schieffelin combined for 35 points. But their combined two-point efficiency (51.5 percent, one combined free throw) wasn’t nearly enough to keep pace with the Irish’s torrid three-point shooting. Even Hall needed 19 shots to reach his 19 points.

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Notre Dame opened in its zone defense and largely stuck with it until switching to man with about 10 minutes left. This was the latest game where the zone made a difference. The Tigers also couldn’t crack it in the earlier game this year. Notre Dame had no trouble rebounding in it either, allowing Clemson to grab only six of its 35 missed shots. The Irish also committed just seven fouls, the fifth time in the last six games they finished with fewer than 10.

“We’ve really bought into helping each other on that end of the floor and changing defenses,” Brey said.

2. Blake Wesley first, Dane Goodwin last

Yeah, that’s why Wesley is a legitimate NBA prospect.

Wesley put forth a stretch as dominant as any of his other eruptions this season, scoring 18 points in the first 8:13 of the game. He went 6-of-6 from the field in that stretch and made all four of his three-point attempts. The latter was an overdue explosion to snap a 3-of-28 slump from beyond the arc. He also slithered into the paint and kicked to guard Prentiss Hubb in the corner for a three-pointer in the first half.

All told, he scored or assisted on 21 of Notre Dame’s first 28 points. He chipped in five first-half rebounds.

“This older group knew they needed Blake to get where they wanted to get,” Brey said.

But that was it for a while. Wesley didn’t score again until making a three with 6:55 left and committed a pair of turnovers in the second half. He didn’t evaporate, chipping in two more assists and a steal, but Notre Dame needed someone else to pick up the scoring.

Enter Goodwin, who reminded everyone why he’s in contention to be a first-team All-ACC selection. He scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half, including three early three-pointers to help push Notre Dame’s lead to 16 points. He created offense himself when Clemson ran him off the three-point line, including a layup with 8:48 left off the same set play Notre Dame ran to get him a three earlier.

Those two are Notre Dame’s leading scorers and most consistent offensive presences. This was the second time each scored at least 20 points in the same game. The first was the Irish’s prior win over Clemson. That game and Saturday’s stand as two of Notre Dame’s four most efficient offensive games against high-major teams this year. It’s not a coincidence.

“Our group knows who to ride,” Brey said. “There’s no baggage or jealousy.”

3. Trey Wertz, Cormac Ryan steady again

In a mild surprise, forward Nate Laszewski returned from a lower leg bruise and saved Notre Dame from playing a six-man rotation in an ACC road game. Laszewski, though, played 16 scoreless minutes – only six of which came in the second half.

Once again, Notre Dame needed senior guards Cormac Ryan and Trey Wertz to make a bigger impact. And once again, they delivered.

Ryan and Wertz combined for 21 points, six rebounds, six assists, two steals and one turnover. They shot 8-of-13 from the field. Ryan started and scored 13 points, his first double-figure game since Jan. 5. He was 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and supplied his usual energetic defense.

Wertz, meanwhile, put his late-January lull further behind him. His three-pointer with 14:40 left was part of a 10-1 run that erased any threat after Clemson trimmed the Irish’s lead to seven points. One of his three assists was on a Goodwin three that capped the run. He has taken at least three shots in his last three games after attempting four total in the prior four contests.

Notre Dame doesn’t need Wertz or Ryan to be a focal point, but its seven-man rotation feels a lot more tenable if both are providing consistent production like they have the last three games.