SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame's experience and raucous home crowd were too much for eighth-ranked Kentucky and its heralded freshmen.

Junior guards Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant paced the Fighting Irish to a 64-50 victory Thursday night.

Atkins led the Fighting Irish with 16 points, Grant had 13 points and six assists and Jack Cooley added 13 points and 11 rebounds.

"The way our guards were controlling things, I didn't have to do a lot of coaching," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said.

"Those guys were coaching the team. Eric Atkins running things, calling sets. When you have a veteran backcourt doing that, I just don't want to get in their way too much."

Notre Dame outplayed Kentucky (4-2) inside during the first half and held the Wildcats to a season-low 40 percent shooting for the game.

The Irish shot 48 percent, the best anyone against Kentucky this season.

The senior captains of the top-ranked Notre Dame football team, linebacker Manti Te'o, defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore, tight end Tyler Eifert and tackle Zack Martin, got a standing ovation when they were introduced at halftime.

Students rushed the floor after the Irish wrapped up their second win over the Wildcats in the past 13 meetings.

Grant was disappointed in the fans' reaction, saying it wasn't like last season when the Irish upset top-ranked Syracuse.