Connaughton nailed a season-high six 3-pointers and Tom Knight added a career-high 18 points and nine rebounds to make up for an off-game from All-Big East forward Jack Cooley of Notre Dame (24-8), which will meet No. 13 Marquette in the quarterfinals. Cooley finished with two points and nine rebounds

Austin Johnson had a career-high 18 points, including 15 in the second half, and Myles Mack also finished with 18 to lead Rutgers (15-16).

The Scarlet Knights shot a season-high 61.1 percent in Tuesday’s first-round victory over DePaul, but struggled mightily in the first half – missing 9-of-10 shots during one stretch – as the Irish took charge. Notre Dame took advantage of Rutgers’ shooting woes, getting back-to-back 3-pointers to help turn a two-point lead into 18-7 advantage midway through the first half.

The Irish extended the margin to 16 points before the break, but Johnson’s jumper at the start of the second half keyed an 11-0 run spanning both halves that pulled the Scarlet Knights within five. Johnson scored 13 of Rutgers’ next 17 points at one point – including nine straight – as the Scarlet Knights continued to keep the pressure on Notre Dame, but Connaughton answered almost every push himself with one of four second-half 3-pointers.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Notre Dame won its first game in the Big East tournament for the fifth straight season. … Rutgers F Wally Judge, who posted his third double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds in Tuesday’s victory, finished with two points and one rebound. … The Irish finished 10-of-17 beyond the arc, improving to 12-1 in games in which they hit more than eight 3-pointers.