Demetrius Jackson Leaves Game With Hamstring Injury

Junior guard Demetrius Jackson left Saturday’s 76-49 win over Boston College with a pulled right hamstring and did not return.

The Irish floor general suffered the injury at the 17:44 mark of the first half with the team tied 2-2. He was helped off the court to the locker room by a member of the medical staff and sophomore forward Martin Geben.

Without Jackson, Notre Dame quickly went on a 7-0 run and led the entire first half in his absence. Freshman guard Rex Pflueger grabbed the majority of the minutes without Jackson on the floor, while junior Steve Vasturia mostly handled ball-handling duties.

Pflueger notched career highs in points (11) and minutes (32). Vasturia added 16 points and four assists.

At the 14-minute mark of the first half, the Mishawaka, Ind., native walked to the bench on his own and iced his right hamstring from his seat.

“Demetrius is a hamstring injury and those are tricky,” head coach Mike Brey said. “We’ll go day-to-day with him.

“No way he could go back in. You’re not going to put him back in and reinjure it. He’s logged a lot of miles.

“It’s something he can come back from. When? We don’t know.”

Jackson, a possible first-round pick in next June’s NBA Draft if he declares after this season, is averaging 17.6 points per game along with 3.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals per contest.

The two-year starter helped fuel Notre Dame’s run to the Elite Eight last spring with a 32-6 record.

Even without their leader, Notre Dame cruised to a 27-point league win, its fourth consecutive victory.

“I’m proud of how we didn’t let it become a distraction at all,” Brey said.

The Irish return to the court Thursday at Syracuse.