PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Notre Dame appeared to be in total control, then all of a sudden the Fighting Irish were lucky time ran out on Marshon Brooks.

Ben Hansbrough scored a career-high 32 points and Tim Abromaitis had a season-high 28 as No. 9 Notre Dame hung on for a 94-93 win over struggling Providence on Wednesday night despite a Big East-record 52 points by Brooks.

The Irish (22-5, 11-4 Big East) are off to their best start ever in 11 seasons under coach Mike Brey. Notre Dame, in second place in the conference, has won eight of nine.

"I'm thrilled that we escaped with a win," Brey said. "I don't know if I've ever seen a performance like that by a young man. That was outstanding."

And, he likely hadn't.

Brooks' 52 points was the most ever scored against Notre Dame, which hadn't allowed a 40-point scorer since Danny Manning in 1987. Brooks, only the third player in Providence history to score 40 points or more twice in a season, surpassed the previous high of 45 by Michigan State's Julius McCoy on Dec. 21, 1955. The previous Big East record was 48 points by Eric Murdock -- another Providence player -- against Pittsburgh in 1991.

"It really hasn't hit me yet. When I get home and sit down it will. Fifty-two against Notre Dame is a nice game," Brooks said. "I was feeling it. It was going to be tough to stop me."

The Irish had opened an 81-70 lead on Tyrone's Nash's layup with just under 6 minutes to play. Then, Brooks started an incredible run to cap his 35-point second half.