Nov. 9, 2008

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NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Junior forward Luke Harangody led all players with 21 points and 10 rebounds as the ninth-ranked Notre Dame men's basketball team defeated Stonehill College 79-47 on Sunday afternoon at the Joyce Center. The contest was the final exhibition game for the Fighting Irish.

A three-pointer from senior guard Kyle McAlarney gave Notre Dame its first lead of the game (11-10) with 13:12 remaining in the first half. McAlarney finished with nine points on the day.

Stonehill regained the lead (23-21) on a layup from AJ Rudowitz with 4:47 left in the opening stanza. Rudowitz led the Skyhawks with 17 points and six rebounds. He was the only Stonehill player in double figures.

A layup from sophomore Tyrone Nash knotted the game 23-23 and a pair of free throws from junior Tory Jackson put the Irish on top for good. Notre Dame matched its largest advantage of the first half with a five-point lead (29-24) at the intermission.

Jackson notched 15 points and seven rebounds on the afternoon. Senior forward/center Luke Zeller was the third Irish player in double-figures as he totaled 10 points to go along with eight rebounds and four assists. Junior guard Jonathan Peoples contributed a team-best five assists.

Notre Dame opened the second half with a 7-0 run that was capped with a three-pointer from Zeller. The lead expanded to 16 (47-31) on a Harangody jumper with 14:31 remaining in the contest. The Fighting Irish enjoyed their largest lead of 34 points (77-43) when junior Tim Andree nailed a shot with 1:16 left on the clock.

Notre Dame shot 48-percent from the field, including a 57-percent mark in the second half. Stonehill shot at a 36-percent clip from the floor for the game. The Irish held a decisive 48-30 advantage in rebounds and collected 20 assists on the day.

Notre Dame will open its 2008-09 regular season with a home tilt against USC Upstate on Sunday, Nov. 16. Game time is slated for 7:30 p.m. (ET) at the Joyce Center.

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