IMMACULATA, PA — Notre Dame of Maryland turned a back-and-forth shootout into a decisive late surge, pulling away in the final four minutes to defeat Immaculata 102–93 on Monday night in another big road win. The victory pushes the Gators to 4–4 on the season and they did so by scoring the most points in a game in program history, surpassing the century mark in a game for the first time.
In a contest that featured 13 ties and 16 lead changes, the Gators leaned on relentless pace, efficient paint scoring, and a dominant night at the free-throw line to outlast the Mighty Macs.
Ricardo Ross set the tone with 22 points, six assists, six steals and a series of momentum-shifting finishes in transition, but it was a collective offensive effort that carried Notre Dame across the 100-point threshold.
Marlon Lewis added 20 points and nine rebounds, often coming up with second-chance opportunities that halted Immaculata runs.
Jackson Pugh delivered one of the steadiest performances on the floor, scoring 19 points and going a perfect 12-for-12 at the foul line, including several pressure makes as Notre Dame pulled away late.
Anthony Wright chipped in 18 points and nine rebounds, while
Dylan Long and
Jahbreco Dacosta provided a combined 18 points off the bench. Dacoasta also led the team with 10 rebounds including three on the offensive glass.
Immaculata (1–6) kept stride for most of the night behind 20 points apiece from Christian Chambers and Mandon Seapoe. The Macs hit 12 three-pointers and led 45–43 at halftime, capitalizing early on Notre Dame turnovers and cold perimeter shooting.
But the second half belonged to the Gators' transition game. Notre Dame outscored Immaculata 59–48 after the break, repeatedly turning stops into fast-break points. The turning point came with just over four minutes remaining, when Ross, Pugh and Wright fueled a decisive 14–4 run, punctuated by back-to-back steals and dunks that pushed the margin into double digits for the first time.
Notre Dame also dominated at the line, finishing 27-of-34 overall and 20-of-24 in the second half, allowing the Gators to keep control as the scoring pace increased.
This was just the second time the two programs have met up, with Immaculata winning 66-56 in NDM's second game of their inaugural 2023-24 season. The win for Notre Dame keeps their hot streak going as they have won four of their last five with the only loss in the middle coming against DI opponents UMBC.
The Gators have just a single day to rest before getting back into action when they travel north to Philadelphia as they take on Rosemont on Wednesday, December 3 at 6 PM. The two teams have split the series so far as the Gators won the first battle 75-66 in before falling on a buzzer beater when they faced each other just two days following the first meetup.
