ROSEMONT, Ill., March 2 (UPI) -- Luke Harangody led No. 17 Notre Dame with 24 points and the Fighting Irish held off a late surge by DePaul Sunday to beat the Blue Demons 98-91.
Notre Dame was up 60-32 early in the second half. DePaul, led by freshman Dar Tucker, then battled back to within seven points with 3:32 left but could get no closer.
The win clinched one of the top four Big East spots and a bye to the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.
Rob Kurz added 21 points for the Fighting Irish (22-6, 12-4 Big East), who sank 13 three-pointers.
Tucker led all scorers with 28 points, his highest total of the season. The Blue Demons are 10-18, 5-11 after their fifth straight loss.
