Colson Scores 23, Notre Dame Beats Bryant 89-64 In Opener
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Bonzie Colson had 23 points and nine rebounds Saturday to lead Notre Dame to an 89-64 season-opening victory over Bryant.
Notre Dame used an 18-2 second half run to turn a single-digit lead into a 22-point advantage in a span of five minutes.
V.J. Beachem tied his career-high with 22 points for the Irish, who are coming off back-to-back Elite Eight runs in the NCAA Tournament. Fellow tri-captain Steve Vasturia finished with 16 points.
Notre Dame was just 3 of 16 from beyond the arc but hit 26 of 29 (89.7 percent) free-throw attempts.
Nisre Zouzoua led Bryant with 19 points. Freshmen Sebastian Townes chipped in 16 points and Adam Grant had 13 before fouling out. The Bulldogs turned it over 13 times and shot 41 percent from the field.
BIG PICTURE
Bryant: The Bulldogs, a Division I program since 2012, will play just four home games in the first two months of the season, while breaking in a six-man freshman class.
Notre Dame: Debuting two new starters who played very little last year, Notre Dame improved to 17-0 under Mike Brey in season openers. Point guard Matt Farrell led the Irish with six assists in 28 minutes, while forward Martinas Geben had four points and seven rebounds.
UP NEXT
Bryant opens its home slate with Salve Regina on Tuesday.
Notre Dame plays another early-season home tuneup against Seattle University on Wednesday.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
