Notre Dame vs. Purdue final score: Irish hold off Boilermakers for comfortable 81-68 victory

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish played it close in the second half, but clutch plays from key contributors eventually led them to a comfortable 81-68 victory over the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday. Three-pointers from Pat Connaughton, Eric Atkins and Jack Cooley down the stretch put the Irish over the top, and quelled any comeback from Purdue.

Cooley led the Irish with 18 points, shooting 6-for-11 from the field and making six of his eight free throws. He also grabbed nine rebounds, which led the team, and had a pair of steals. Atkins and Connaughton were right behind, with 17 and 16 points, respectively. Atkins dished seven assists to go with his four rebounds and three steals.

Purdue didn't have many standout performances in the game, and only led at one point -- just one minute in, with a 2-1 lead. After that point, it was all Notre Dame, outscoring Purdue 39-31 in the first half and 42-37 in the second.

With the win, the Irish moved to 9-1 on the season and 7-0 at home, while Purdue dropped to 4-6 with a 1-1 record on the road.