Detroit Mercy @ Notre Dame preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 14, 2011 ) Detroit Mercy 53, Notre Dame 59

Notre Dame looks to rebound from a pair of disparaging losses and regain some confidence when it hosts high-scoring sophomore Antoine Davis and Detroit Mercy for a non-conference game on Tuesday night. The Fighting Irish had won six in a row before being blitzed by No. 4 Maryland 72-51 last Wednesday, and followed that up with a 73-72 setback against Boston College at home three days later.

“Positivity, that’s all you can preach right now,” Notre Dame senior guard Rex Pflueger told South Bend Tribune last week. “If you try and dwell on it, then I think you’re going to get lost in it.” The Fighting Irish, who also lost valuable reserve guard Robby Carmody to a season-ending knee injury last week, will try to pick themselves off the canvass led by senior forward John Mooney - the nation’s leading rebounder (13.5) - and TJ Gibbs, after the senior guard followed up a zero-point effort against Maryland with 22 versus Boston College. The Irish have been better on the defensive end - allowing 39.3 percent shooting from the field along with 63.4 points per game - and will have to be sharp to hold down Davis, who is averaging 23.8 points (fourth in the nation through Sunday) and had a total of 54 in two games against ACC teams earlier this season. Detroit Mercy has lost four straight games since its lone victory against UC Irvine and comes in off a 55-51 setback against Eastern Michigan on Saturday.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ACC Network

ABOUT DETROIT MERCY (1-7): Davis, who also leads the team in assists (4.9) and steals (2.4), struggled shooting the last two games while going 11-of-45 from the field and 6-of-22 from beyond the 3-point arc. Davis finished with a team-high 16 points against Eastern Michigan, missing 16 of his 20 attempts from the floor and sophomore guard Marquis Moore stepped up to produce his first double-double of the season (12 points, 10 rebounds). Senior forward Justin Miller is second on the team in scoring (8.1) and leads the way in rebounding (6.1) after hauling in 18 boards in the past two contests.

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (6-3): Mooney, who averages a team-high 14.9 points, has registered double-doubles in six of the eight games he has played this season and Gibbs is second on the team in scoring (11.8). Sophomore Prentiss Hubb (10.1 points, team-high 3.9 assists) began the season by scoring 22 at North Carolina and has reached double figures just twice in eight games since, including 13 versus Maryland. Sophomore guard Dane Goodwin has contributed 9.6 points per contest, but connected on just 3-of-17 from the field the past two contests while missing eight of nine attempts behind the arc.

TIP-INS

1. Notre Dame senior F Juwan Durham averages 8.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and was tied for 23rd in the nation in blocks (2.6) entering the week.

2. The Titans, led by former Indiana coach Mike Davis, began the week tied for 54th in the nation with nine made 3-pointers per contest.

3. The Irish lead the all-time series 41-12 and won the last meeting in 2011 at home 59-53.

PREDICTION: Notre Dame 82, Detroit Mercy 60