Monsanto scores 28, Wake Forest rolls past Notre Dame 81-64

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Cameron Hildreth drives hard for the bucket

Cameron Hildreth drives hard for the bucket

Feb 4, 2023, 08:28 pm

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- — Damari Monsanto scored a career-high 28 points, making eight 3-pointers — also a career high — and Wake Forest defeated Notre Dame 81-64 on Saturday to snap a four-game losing streak.

Monsanto made 8 of 13 from distance and also grabbed seven rebounds. His three 3-pointers in the first half were the only 3-point makes for either team.

Wake Forest hit on 6 of 7 3-pointers in the first 5:02 of the second half, building a 13-point lead when Daivien Williamson hit a 3-pointer for a 47-34 advantage.

Marcus Hammond finally hit Notre Dame's first 3-pointer with 13:47 remaining. Nate Laszewski added two more 3-pointers, but the Fighting Irish were still down by eight with 8:31 remaining, 60-52. Tyree Appleby then hit a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws to put the Demon Deacons up by 13 again.

Monsanto's seventh 3-pointer gave Wake Forest a 17-point lead with 4:27 remaining. His eighth 3 gave the Demon Deacons a 17-point lead again and capped the scoring with 41 seconds to go.

Appleby had 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Wake Forest (15-9, 7-6 ACC) and Bobi Klintman scored 10. Wake Forest shot 58.6% in the second half, with 11 of 19 3-pointers, and scored 50 points. For the game, the Demon Deacons shot 52.7% and connected on 14 of 30 3-pointers.

Laszewski led Notre Dame (10-13, 2-10) with 18 points, Cormac Ryan added 12 and Hammond scored 10.

Notre Dame, which averages 9.3 made 3-pointers per game, missed its first eight in the first half and finished 4 for 21. The Fighting Irish had only four turnovers, three of them by Ryan.

The Fighting Irish hit 7 of their first 14 shots, including 7 of 11 inside the 3-point arc, and built a 16-4 lead. But Notre Dame missed its next eight attempts and Wake Forest rallied to get within 22-20 with 3:55 remaining in the half. The Demon Deacons took a 25-24 lead on a 3-pointer by Monsanto, his third of the half, and later a layup by Cameron Hildreth gave them a 27-26 lead at the break. Monsanto was the only player for either team to make a 3-pointer in the first half.

Wake Forest won at Notre Dame for just the second time in seven trips to South Bend. Notre Dame leads the series 8-7 overall.

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