<em>Basketball:</em> #8 Notre Dame Trounces #19 Villanova, 93-72
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -- Tim Abromaitis made a career-high nine 3-pointers and scored 30 points, and Ben Hansbrough had 30 points and 10 assists in his final home game Monday night as #8 Notre Dame routed #19 Villanova, 93-72, to secure a double bye in the Big East tournament.
Plagued again by cold shooting, Villanova lost for the fifth time in seven games in its late-season slump. The Wildcats missed their first seven 3-point attempts and were 2 for 10 from long range in the first half.
The Irish wasted little time in taking control as Carleton Scott started the scoring with a 3-pointer, Abromaitis made two from long range and Hansbrough added another in an opening 14-4 run less than four minutes into the game.
Notre Dame (24-5, 13-4) hit a school-record 20 three-pointers and finished unbeaten in 17 games at the Purcell Pavilion, the only team in the league to be spotless on its home court this season.
Hansbrough made seven 3-pointers as the Irish were wide open from the perimeter all game and finished 20 for 32. Notre Dame, shooting 37.7 percent from 3-point range this season, was 11 for 19 in the first half, including 4 of 6 from Hansbrough, to build a 47-27 lead. The Irish led by as many as 25 points, sending a spirited home crowd into a frenzy as they made one open 3-pointer after another.
Among those cheering Hansbrough were his family, including brother Tyler, the former North Carolina All-American now with the Indiana Pacers. Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly had a front-row seat.
Leading scorer Corey Fisher, coming off a two-point game in a loss to St. John's, led Villanova (21-9, 9-8) with 22 points, 17 in the second half.
(Copyright 2011 by the Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
