SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Freshman Blake Wesley came off the bench to score 21 points in his first collegiate game and Dane Goodwin scored 18 — all on 3-pointers — as Notre Dame opened its season with a 68-52 victory over Cal State Northridge on Saturday.
Wesley, a South Bend native, sank 7 of 10 shots from the floor — including 4 of 6 from beyond the 3-point line — in 24 minutes. Goodwin missed his two 2-point tries but nailed 6 of 8 from distance. The rest of the Fighting Irish hit just 1 of 13 from deep. Paul Atkinson Jr., a graduate transfer from Yale, contributed 16 points and six rebounds in his first game for Notre Dame.
Atin Wright topped the Matadors (0-2) with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc.
Notre Dame shot 49% from the floor and 41% from distance. The Irish took a 5-4 lead 1:53 into the game on a Goodwin 3-pointer and never trailed again. They led 32-26 at halftime and upped their lead to 57-37 on a Wesley dunk with 6:59 left in the game.
Notre Dame is now 22-0 in home openers in the Mike Brey era.
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