Fighting Irish to battle the Saints – and the St. Catherine Wildcats in Port Arthur will be the winn

So how does St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School in Port Arthur win in a basketball game held in South Bend, Ind.? When it’s an exhibition game with the proceeds going to relief efforts in hurricane-hit areas.

The University of Notre Dame men’s Fighting Irish basketball team will take on the Saints of Holy Cross College on Oct. 20. Notre Dame will be focusing its aid on the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program which seeks to sustain, strengthen and transform Catholic schools since its founding in 1993. St. Catherine was chosen because of its participation in ACE.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches requested an additional exhibition game this year to support relief efforts for those areas that have been hit by hurricanes and storms the past couple of months.

“As soon as the NABC discussed this opportunity, I knew it was something that we needed to do,” Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey said.

“The recent weather events across the country have put a lot of people in need and our ability to lend aid with an extra exhibition game is a win-win for everyone involved. Our players will get an opportunity to compete against a different team as we get ready for the challenging season ahead. Holy Cross College will get to experience a game in Purcell Pavilion. Our fans who will be in town for a big athletics weekend will get a chance to see us compete.

“Most importantly, we will be able to help our ACE program and one of its parishes recover from (Hurricane) Harvey,” Brey said.

Holy Cross College is located across the street from the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana. Founded in 1966, it is governed by the Brothers of the Holy Cross, a community of lay religious men within the Congregation of Holy Cross (CSC). Holy Cross is a Catholic co-ed, residential college that competes at the NAIA level in men’s and women’s basketball, golf, tennis and soccer.

“Our exhibition with Notre Dame is impactful on a number of levels for our program, college and most importantly the people involved with hurricane relief,” Holy Cross head men’s basketball coach Mike McBride said.
Holy Cross College, governed by the Brothers of the Holy Cross, shares a relationship with the University of Notre Dame as both were founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross.