SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Garrick Sherman scored 18 points to lead Notre Dame past George Washington 65-48 on Wednesday.
Sherman, a senior who sat out last season after transferring from Michigan State, hit 8 of 10 shots from the field and 2 of 2 from the free-throw line. It was the second time this season he has come off the bench to lead the team in scoring.
“In Brooklyn I felt like I forced it a little bit too much and I just wanted to come out and be efficient tonight,” said Sherman, referring to his play in the team’s 79-70 overtime loss to St. Joseph’s Friday in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.
Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said for now, he likes Sherman as a sixth man.
“That starting five I think is pretty darn solid, but I don’t think you’re ever etched in stone,” Brey said. “Right now I like him coming in and giving us a little lift and giving Jack (Cooley) that first rest.”
George Washington (1-2) struggled with its shooting, hitting 33 percent of its shots.
“I thought we did a good job getting the ball inside but we couldn’t score inside,” said George Washington coach Mike Lonergan. “I don’t know if it was nerves at the beginning or one of those things that was just contagious, but we missed so many shots at the beginning that it was just hard to stay in the game.”
Brey said his defense deserved some of the credit for that.
“They missed some easy ones. Overall though, our body position was very good,” Brey said. “We’re good at staying in front of people. We’re not going to turn you over much, but this is how we play.”
Brey said he was particularly impressed with limiting George Washington to 2 of 8 shooting from 3-point range.
“That’s how GW beats you; they throw in 11 3’s. We’ve been good on those and that’s what we hang our hats on,” said Brey, a George Washington alum who drew laughs from reporters when he walked into the postgame press conference sporting his actual George Washington game jersey from 1981.
Jerian Grant added 13 points for Notre Dame (4-1), which led 32-21 at halftime.
Isaiah Armwood led the Colonials with 12 points.
Cooley had only two points in the first half, but scored Notre Dame’s first six points after the break. He hit two short jumpers off feeds into the low post, then took an offensive charge, and capped the run with a jumper from just inside the arc.
Irish point guard Eric Atkins then hit a jumper, finishing off an 8-2 run and extending the Irish lead to 17.
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