Notre Dame 3s it up to beat Providence

PROVIDENCE, R.I.-- Ryan Ayers scored 28, making seven of Notre Dame's 13 3-pointers, and the Fighting Irish overcame Luke Harangody's foul trouble to beat Providence 103-84 on Saturday.

Ayers went 6-for-8 from the 3-point line in the first half as the Irish (15-11, 6-8 Big East) sank nine of their first 12 attempts to open a 17-point first-half lead. They cooled off in the second, making 2-of-10, but held on to win for the third time in four games since a seven-game losing streak dropped them from seventh in the country to out of the rankings.

Weyinmi Efejuku scored a career-high 31 points and Sharaud Curry scored 23 for Providence (16-11, 8-7).

Kyle McAlarney was 4-for-6 in the first half and 0-for-5 in the second, finishing with 25 points for the Irish.

Harangody, who is sixth in the nation with 24.4 points per game, scored 17 of his 18 points in the second half, picking up his second foul with about eight minutes left in the first half. He drew his third three minutes into the second and his fourth with 13:30 to go and played 24 minutes in all.

Harangody did not score a point until he made the second of two free throws as a substitute when Luke Zeller was injured with 46 seconds left in the first half.

Notre Dame led by 12, 49-37, at the half before Providence cut the deficit to seven points. It was 61-54 with 12:22 left before Jonathan Peoples sank a 3-pointer and followed it with a 3-point play, and the Friars never got closer than nine points after that.