Notre Dame cruises past Idaho 80-65 for third straight win

SOUTH BEND, Ind.-- Notre Dame men’s basketball picked up its third straight win Wednesday night, beating Idaho 80–65 inside Purcell Pavilion.

Head coach Micah Shrewsberry said the first half was “bumpy,” with the game tied 33–33 at the break. Forward Carson Towt later explained the shift came from “energy” and a new mindset in the locker room. And it showed.

Notre Dame opened the second half red hot, shooting 61.3 percent from the field and outscoring Idaho 47–32. Three players — Cole Certa, Jalen Haralson and Braeden Shrewsberry — all scored in double figures just in the second half.

Towt was dominant from start to finish. He recorded his third double-double of the season with a season-high 19 points and 15 rebounds.

From beyond the arc, Certa and Shrewsberry continued to shine. The pair combined for 29 points and knocked down 7-of-11 from deep. Certa finished with 15 points, Shrewsberry added 14 — and Certa is now shooting an impressive 56.5 percent from three over his last three games.

Haralson once again led the Irish attack. The freshman guard posted back-to-back 20-point games, shooting 8-for-16 on the night. This marks his ninth straight game scoring in double figures. Shrewsberry praised Haralson’s maturity and coachability.

“When I got the job here, he was the first dude that I offered and went after and wanted to,” Shrewsberry said. “For a really good player, he allows me to coach him. I don’t sugarcoat anything with him. I tell him the truth because it’s only going to make him better and that’s what he wanted. He wanted someone to help him be better.”

The Irish are back at home Saturday, hosting Evansville as they look to keep the momentum rolling.