Vasturia, Auguste Lead Notre Dame Past Liberty, 73-56
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Steve Vasturia scored 17 points and Notre Dame rallied in the second half Tuesday to cruise to a 73-56 win over Liberty.
Zach Auguste fought through a constant double team in the post to finish with 13 points and tied a career-high with 14 rebounds for Notre Dame (9-3), which concluded its non-conference schedule and will begin ACC play on Jan. 2 at No. 5 Virginia.
Liberty (3-12) came into the game with the lowest RPI rating in Division I at No. 351 and lost its 11th in a row. Caleb Homesley led the Flames with 18 points and Evan Maxwell added 15 points and eight rebounds.
After a lethargic end to the first half, the Irish came out strong in the second. V.J. Beachem hit a pair of 3-pointers to start an 11-0 run to open a 20-point lead in the first 90 seconds of the half.
Beachem finished with nine points on three 3-pointers, all in the second half. The Irish led by as much as 21 points and their advantage never dipped below 14 the rest of the way.
Demetrius Jackson's tough scoop shot in the paint led to a 3-point play for the Irish, highlighting an 11-2 first-half run for a 30-17 lead. Jackson also finished with nine points for the Irish.
Notre Dame went 0 for 4 from the field and committed three turnovers over the final 4:40 of the first half, but still led by nine points at the break as the Flames struggled from the field as well, shooting just 32 percent (9 for 28).
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