Carried by a 30-point performance from senior guard Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame completed the second of two preseason exhibitions by beating Catholic University 72-47 Saturday in the Purcell Pavilion.
"I got hot early," Hansbrough said. "Just kept on shooting, just taking what the defense was there. Just hit a couple tonight."
The Irish attack was unrelenting throughout, and Notre Dame was able to showcase its new, multi-faceted offense. Hansbrough's impressive performance behind the arc was indicative of the shooting ability of the entire Irish squad this season.
In 31 minutes, Hansbrough went 11 of 17 from the field and 6 of 10 on three pointers.
"It's beautiful to watch," Irish coach Mike Brey said. "That's a step for him in the development of his game."
Hansbrough's night could have ended with an exclamation point, as he streaked towards the basket on a fast break late in the second half. Going in for a one-handed slam, the ball collided with the rim on the follow through and fell out. He picked up the rebound and finished the play with a lay-up, flashing a smile as his teammates let him hear about it.
"I could go out there right now and windmill [dunk] it," Hansbrough said. "I don't know what happened. I'm shocked. That never happens."
Senior Scott Martin, who sat out the last two seasons due to a one-year transfer hold in 2008 and a season-ending knee injury in 2009, showcased his shooting ability and a smooth left-handed jumper. Martin finished the game with 10 points and nine rebounds.
Senior forward Tim Abromaitis added 13 points and six assists, and senior forward Tyrone Nash finished with eight points and three boards. Nash said he likes the versatility of the Irish offensive attack this season.
"You take one option away, you take two options away
