In a dominant display, Notre Dame kicked off their basketball season by defeating Stonehill with a score of 89-60 on Wednesday night. Braeden Shrewsberry and Markus Burton led the way for the Fighting Irish, each contributing 18 points to the team’s impressive performance.

Matt Allocco supported the team’s efforts by adding 10 points, and Kebba Njie made a significant impact on the boards, collecting 10 rebounds along with scoring nine points. For Stonehill, Todd Brogna was the standout player, finishing with 16 points, while Ethan Meuser and Louie Semona each chipped in 11 points.

The game saw Shrewsberry opening the second half with a three-pointer that established a 20-point cushion for Notre Dame. This lead expanded to 27 points after Burton completed a driving layup a few minutes later. The Fighting Irish maintained a comfortable advantage for most of the final 13 minutes, even as Stonehill managed to narrow the margin to 21 points at one stage. A late layup from Garrett Sundra capped off the scoring and extended Notre Dame’s lead to its highest at the end of the contest.

Creating a strong foundation, Notre Dame was ahead 19-16 midway through the first half. A decisive 10-0 scoring streak propelled them to a 46-29 lead by halftime. Shrewsberry showcased his scoring ability, registering 10 points in that half on an efficient 4-of-6 shooting, including two successful three-point attempts.

Under the helm of coach Micah Shrewsberry, whose first season saw a total rebuilding effort last year, Notre Dame has seen a significant retention of talent, bringing back 85.6% of its scoring this season—the highest in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Notably, Notre Dame and Stonehill share a unique relationship as sister schools under the Congregation of Holy Cross, collaborating on various academic initiatives. Their last basketball encounter took place in 1982 when Notre Dame secured a 74-60 victory. Stonehill had previously opened their season with a win against Framingham State, scoring 81-62.