Notre Dame pulls away from Eastern Illinois in second half

Markus Burton had 21 points while Braeden Shrewsberry hit six 3-pointers to finish with 18, as Notre Dame used a strong second half to beat visiting Eastern Illinois 78-58 on Tuesday night in South Bend, Ind.

Burton went 8-of-19 from the field, while Shrewsberry missed just two of his eight 3-point attempts for the Fighting Irish (3-0), who shot 53.3 percent in the second half, and owned a 40-24 rebounding advantage and 38-18 edge on points in the paint for the night.

Notre Dame led 31-28 at halftime, but extended it to 37-30 after Shrewsberry and Burton knocked down 3-pointers. However, Eastern Illinois didn't fold and got within 38-36 on its own 3 from Kooper Jacobi.

The Irish, though, put together a game-defining surge by scoring 10 consecutive points to take control. Shrewsberry's back-to-back 3s highlighted the run that put Notre Dame ahead 48-36.

After going 2-of-13 from 3-point range in the first half, the Irish were 7-of-15 from distance after the break.

Jacobi finished with four 3-pointers and 20 points for Eastern Illinois (1-2), which struggled to find a rhythm against a stout Notre Dame defense, shooting 38.9 percent from the field, 6-of-21 from beyond the arc and committing 11 turnovers.

The Panthers missed six of their first seven shots of the night, allowing Notre Dame to open with an 8-2 lead. Thanks to five early points from Burton.

However, Eastern Illinois then made eight of its next 16 shots, and after Markus Blackwell knocked down a 3-pointer with 7:03 remaining in the first half, it led 19-18. The lead changed hands 10 times the rest of the half, with the Irish leading by three at the break after Burton scored the final five points before intermission -- while the Panthers missed their last five field-goal attempts.

Notre Dame shot 43.3 percent in the first half, but committed seven turnovers.

Irish freshman Jalen Haralson had 17 points on 6-of-6 shooting, while teammate Carson Towt pulled down 11 rebounds.

--Field Level Media