Three-point shooting could be the key for each team when Boston University plays at Notre Dame in a nonconference game on Wednesday night in South Bend, Ind.

Notre Dame (6-2) has lost two of its last three contests and struggled from behind the 3-point line in each loss.

The Irish shot 2 of 17 from 3-point range (11.8 percent) – 0 for 9 in the second half — during a 63-51 loss against St. Bonaventure on Nov. 25. They went 11 for 33 from behind the arc in a 62-61 home loss to Syracuse on Saturday.

In between, Notre Dame sank 11 of 26 3-point attempts in a 70-52 victory over Michigan State.

“We gave ourselves a chance (against Syracuse),” Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. “I thought their zone stalled us a little bit in the second half. … They had us pushed out a little bit more in the second half, as that zone can do.”

Notre Dame is shooting 36 percent from 3-point range for the season (68 of 189).

BU (5-4) ended a three-game losing streak by beating Merrimack 68-54 on Friday.

The Terriers made 8 of 17 3-point shots in that win but had a hard time making 3s in their three most recent losses leading up to that game. BU was 5 of 24 from 3-point land in a 62-53 setback against Southeast Missouri State; 3 of 26 in a 67-46 loss at Milwaukee; and 5 of 21 in an 81-70 overtime loss to UC Davis.

The Terriers have made 63 of 209 3-point attempts this season (30.1 percent).

BU head coach Joe Jones was not on the bench for the matchup with UC Davis because of an illness.

“There’s a lot more we need to work on to get better at,” BU assistant coach Curtis Wilson said. “It’s all about getting better every day and learning from good and bad.”

–Field Level Media