St. Francis (BKN) @ Notre Dame preview

For the first time this season, Notre Dame needs to show how it can bounce back from a loss. The fifth-ranked Fighting Irish welcome St. Francis Brooklyn to town Sunday, three days after a humbling loss to No. 3 Michigan State.

Notre Dame trailed Michigan State 46-26 at halftime and went on to lose 81-63 in a game where its stars did not contribute much in the first half. Bonzie Colson scored just six of his 17 points before intermission, while Matt Farrell was scoreless in the opening 20 minutes en route to a 10-point performance. "If they don't get it going early, the rest of our group, we get a little worried and concerned," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. "I give Michigan State credit for taking away our two main weapons for the really the first 15 minutes." St. Francis rolled past Division III opponent College of New Rochelle its last time out by a 104-79 margin.

TV: 2 p.m. ET, ACC Network Extra

ABOUT ST. FRANCIS (2-5): The Terriers lost five of their first six before rolling in their last game behind Glenn Sanabria (19 points) and Jalen Jordan and Chauncey Hawkins (18 apiece). Rasheem Dunn is the team's top scorer at 14.2 points per game but did not play against New Rochelle. Jordan, who is shooting 43.8 percent from the 3-point line, has made multiple 3s in five of the team's seven games.

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (6-1): Colson, a National Player of the Year candidate, is averaging 19.6 points and 9.9 rebounds, not to mention 2.6 blocks, 2.3 steals and 1.4 assists while shooting 53.6 percent from the field. Farrell also has scored in double figures in all seven games and has made multiple 3-pointers six times on the young season. TJ Gibbs averaged 4.7 points last season but has raised that mark to 14.9 this year, including 26 points in a win over LSU last month.

TIP-INS

1. Some of Farrell's stats that have increased in all four of his collegiate seasons are his points per game, shooting percentage, 3-point percentage, rebounds and steals.

2. The Irish had not scored fewer than 72 points this season before posting 67 and 63 in the last two games.

3. Prior to its last outing, St. Francis had not scored 100 points in a game since 2007.

PREDICTION: Notre Dame 91, St. Francis 66