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SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame pulled away from Cornell in the second half, keeping Cornell winless on the season with a 101-67 victory on Sunday afternoon at the Joyce Center. The Fighting Irish improved to 5-1, while Cornell slipped to 0-9.

Nolan Cressler scored 17 points and matched a career-high with nine rebounds and Robert Hatter had 15 points and a career-best six assists, but the Fighting Irish hit five straight 3-pointers early in the second half to take control of the game. The Fighting Irish shot 54 percent from the floor overall and connected on 12-of-25 from 3-point range, assisting on 28 of its 38 baskets with just five turnovers.

Dwight Tarwater chipped in 10 points and four rebounds for the Big Red, which hit on 44 percent of its shots from the field. Devin Cherry had seven points and two assists. In a return to his home state, Robert Mischler buried a 3-pointer for the final points of the game, earning a loud ovation from both sides of the arena in the Hoosier state.

Notre Dame had six players hit for double figures, including Jerian Grant with 20 points and Eric Athliks with 19 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals and no turnovers. Pat Connaughton had 18, Garrick Sherman scored 12 and Demetrius Jackson, a high school teammate of Mischler, rounded out the group with 11 points.Cornell came roaring out of the gates with eight quick points, including five from Cressler to momentarily quiet the Joyce Center crowd. It didn't last long, as the Fighting Irish rattled off 10 straight to take a lead it would never relinquish.

The Big Red kept the Fighting Irish within reach the rest of the half. UND extended its lead to as many as 14, but Cressler hit a floater and then found Tarwater in the corner for an open trey to get back within 41-32. Cornell trailed by nine at the break despite 12 points and five rebounds by Cressler. The home team shot 46 percent and got 12 points from Connaughton.T

he first 10 minutes of the second half saw Cornell come out hot, scoring 23 points and hitting on 10 of its first 14 shots (71 percent) but watched Notre Dame's lead grow from nine to 13 points. The home team would cruise from there, scoring 60 points after halftime and shooting 62 percent from the floor. Notre Dame also hit 8-of-13 from 3-point range in the second half to continue to stretch the lead.

Cornell returns home to face Saint Francis (Pa.) on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 4 p.m. The Big Red leads the all-time series 4-3, including last season's 79-67 win in Loretto, Pa.