Fairleigh Dickinson @ Notre Dame preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 6, 2014 ) Fairleigh Dickinson 57, Notre Dame 75

Notre Dame is 5-0 since falling to North Carolina in the season opener, but the road has not been easy. The Fighting Irish will try to make it six in a row and put the game away in regulation when they host Fairleigh Dickinson on Tuesday.

Notre Dame secured double-digit wins over Robert Morris and Howard after the season-opening loss but couldn't pull away from Marshall or Presbyterian in 10-point triumphs and needed overtime to secure a 64-62 victory over Toledo on Thursday. The Irish drew some positives from the tight victory on the defensive end, where they held Toledo to 34.8 percent from the floor. "I'm thrilled about our defense," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey told reporters. "I think we had 22 stops in their last 26 possessions against a really good offensive group. So, hopefully something for us to build on." The Knights are playing the last of five consecutive road games and dropped each of the first four but shot 51.9 percent from the floor and pushed Lafayette to the finish in an 80-75 setback on Sunday.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, RSN

ABOUT FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON (1-4): All five starters scored in double figures for the Knights on Sunday, led by 19 points in 40 minutes from senior forward Kaleb Bishop. "I am very proud of our team's fight and grit today - we competed and went toe to toe with a good team in their building," coach Greg Herenda told the school's website after the game. "We had to play a number of different combinations, but we just didn't get the big stop or rebound that we needed to get us over the top. It was great to have five guys into double figures today." Fairleigh Dickinson's lone victory was a 101-52 triumph over Division III FDU-Florham in the season opener.

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (5-1): The Fighting Irish are shooting 40.3 percent from the floor on the season, including 29.1 percent from beyond the arc. "We can talk all we want about what sets or what lineups," Brey told reporters. "We're going to have to make some of those (shots) to beat a good team. We'll see if we can beat a good team. Well, we made enough at key times to escape (Toledo) but we're going to have to make more (shots) be beat some ACC teams. I'm aware of that." Senior guard TJ Gibbs is averaging 12.2 points but is 12-of-47 from the floor over the last four games.

TIP-INS

1. Notre Dame F John Mooney (illness) returned from a one-game absence on Thursday and struggled to seven points on 3-of-11 shooting in 32 minutes.

2. Knights F Elyjah Williams scored in double figures in each of the first five games.

3. Gibbs needs five assists to reach 300 for his career.

PREDICTION: Notre Dame 73, Fairleigh Dickinson 54