Mike Brey speaks after Notre Dame survives late scare vs. Howard

Mike Brey probably needed some antacids as soon as Notre Dame finished holding off a late charge by Howard in a 71-68 win. An 11-point lead with less than three minutes to go was cut down to one as the Bison (6-8) imposed a full-court press that the Irish (11-6) simply could not shake off. It took a late layup by Prentiss Hubb and a missed Bison 3-pointer in the final seconds for the Irish to escape enemy territory with a victory.

Nate Laszewski was the big player for the Irish as he scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for his third double-double this season. Dane Goodwin also scored 17, and Blake Wesley added 13 to break Troy Murphy’s program record for most double-digit scoring games by a true freshman (14). Of course, all anyone wanted to talk about after this game was how close it was. Here are some of Brey’s comments from his postgame news conference:

On how the Irish survived Howard's late charge

“This isn’t much different from most of the games we’ve been in here for the last month where there’s pressure and we’ve gotta make late decisions.”

On how both teams played down the stretch

“Some of our turnovers against pressure were an adventure and disappointing, but I think you gotta give Howard credit. They really came after us.”

On the quick turnaround between games

“I was very worried about today physically and mentally for us because we invested a lot in Blacksburg. We really need two days off.”

On adjusting to Howard's defense

“We really couldn’t run our offense against them. They were switching everything, trapping everything. Eventually, we had to drive.”

On Blake Wesley's continued development

“I think he has great veteran teammates to play with, and Prentiss Hubb has been a great mentor to him. But mostly, I think he’s let the game come to him. … He gives us an unbelievable lift.”

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