SOUTH BEND, Ind. (Interstat) — The Notre Dame men’s basketball team used a dominant second-half performance to pull away from Eastern Illinois for a 78-58 victory Tuesday night at a sold-out Joyce Athletic Center.

In a game that was competitive for the first 20 minutes, the Fightin’ Irish broke open a tight contest after halftime, outscoring the Panthers 47-30 in the second period to remain undefeated on the young season. Notre Dame improved to 3-0 while Eastern Illinois fell to 1-2.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair with neither team able to establish a significant advantage. Notre Dame took a narrow 31-28 lead into the break, but the Panthers hung tough behind the scoring of Kooper Jacobi, who kept Eastern Illinois within striking distance.

The game turned decisively in Notre Dame’s favor after halftime as the Irish offense found its rhythm. A balanced scoring attack, led by Braeden Shrewsberry and Markus Burton, overwhelmed the Panthers. Notre Dame’s defensive pressure also intensified, creating turnovers that led to easy transition baskets. The Irish capitalized on Eastern Illinois mistakes, scoring 21 points off turnovers compared to just nine for the Panthers.

Notre Dame’s interior dominance was another key factor, as they outscored Eastern Illinois 38-18 in the paint. Carson Towt controlled the glass for the Irish, pulling down 11 rebounds to go with his five points and three assists.

Jacobi was the standout performer for Eastern Illinois, leading all scorers with 20 points in 34 minutes of action. Preston Turner added 14 points for the Panthers, and Zion Fruster contributed 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.

For Notre Dame, the scoring was distributed among several players. Shrewsberry, a guard from Granger, Indiana, led the Irish with 18 points, including four three-pointers. Burton, a local product from Mishawaka, Indiana, added 21 points and three assists, while freshman Jalen Haralson from Anderson, Indiana, provided a spark off the bench with 17 points and five rebounds in just 25 minutes.

The announced attendance of 3,618 saw the Irish cover the pregame spread as 22.5-point favorites. The total score of 136 points fell under the projected over/under line of 144.5.

Eastern Illinois will look to rebound Friday when it travels to face Kentucky. Notre Dame, meanwhile, continues its challenging non-conference schedule with a road game against Ohio State on Sunday.