NotreDame_Rutgers_Final Box Score
The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team (23-10) rallied countless times to outlast Rutgers (18-14) in double overtime 89-87 during the NCAA First Four at the University of Dayton Arena late Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
Once the clock shifted to Thursday and ushered in St. Patrick’s Day, Paul Atkinson Jr.’s put back with 1.2 left in the second overtime proved to be the game winner to propel Notre Dame into the second round of the tournament.
Atkinson Jr. led all scorers with 26 points, while Cormac Ryan added 16 and Nate Laszewski 18 off the bench.
Caleb McConnell scored 23 for Rutgers, while Ron Harper Jr. added 22.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game started with a long uninterrupted section of play with only two fouls called. The teams did not get a break until 11:57 was left in the first half. Both teams also started out very hot from the field with the Irish connecting on eight of their first 11 shots while Rutgers was right there at 7-for-11.
Atkinson Jr. scored the first six points of the game and had eight of Notre Dame’s first 17 points with a variety of moves around the bucket and rolls off of ball screens. Ryan also connected on his first three point attempt of the game and the Irish earned a 17-15 advantage at that first media timeout.
Notre Dame maintained their slim lead into the next break, helped by Laszewski’s first three pointer of the game that hit every side of the rim before falling in. At the 9:35 mark of the first half the Irish were up 22-21 and shooting 10-for-15 from the field.
Rutgers surged into the lead behind a 6-0 run as Harper Jr. connected on a deep three pointer in transition followed by a drive to the bucket. The Scarlet Knights got another score in the paint after a blocked shot to push their lead to 36-30 with 4:09 left.
The Irish threw a punch back at Rutgers when Laszewski scored down low, then Atkinson Jr. followed up with another paint score to cut the lead down to two points. Rutgers answered right back with a three pointer and got a run out lay up at the halftime buzzer to push their lead back up to five at 41-36.
The Irish would pile up 30 points in the paint in the first half, powered by 16 points from Atkinson Jr. The first half problems was Rutgers’ Caleb McConnell who hit eight of his first nine shots to lead all scorers with 18 points at the half.
A small surge from Notre Dame early in the second half cut the lead back to two points, but Rutgers had an answer to maintain a four point lead at the first media break of the second 20 minutes.
The Scarlet Knights pushed their advantage to six points, then Ryan connected on a three pointer in the corner to cut the lead to one possession. After a defensive stop, Goodwin got his first clean look of the contest on a pump fake and nailed a three pointer to cut the lead to one with 11:45 left.
After a couple of back and forth possessions, Ryan drove late in the shot clock, rotated in the lane and muscled up a lay up to tie the game at 53-53. The Irish then came back to earn a defensive stop when Wertz stripped the ball from Harper Jr. and Wesley drove through the Scarlet Knight defense to put the Irish up 55-53 with 8:56 left.
The Irish earned the lead by holding Rutgers without a field goal over three minutes and forcing four consecutive missed shots.
That shot drought ended soon after the break as Rutgers briefly retook the lead with a three pointer. Laszewski came right back and answered to keep the lead and a couple trips down the floor later Goodwin drove, was fouled and connected on the lay up and free throw to put the Irish up 63-58 with 6:08 left.
In a game of runs, Rutgers would answer with another one. Both teams were all over the floor during a Notre Dame defensive possession after Wesley tipped the ball away, but the Scarlet Knights were able to secure the ball and find a player wide open for a dunk.
On the next Irish possession, Wesley earned two free throws after grabbing an offensive rebound but missed both free throws. Rutgers came down, earned an extra possession on an offensive rebound of their own and converted a free throw line jumper to cut the Irish lead to one with 4:06 left.
Laszewski earned two free throws and converted both to keep the Irish ahead and Rutgers came back with a drive to cut it back to one again. Atkinson Jr. late in the clock rolled in a shot in the lane to go back up three. Rutgers came right back with a step back three from Geo Baker to tie the game with 3:42 left.
Ryan attempted a deep three pointer in the corner and missed, but Lazewski hustled in to grab the offensive rebound and put it back in. Notre Dame was up 69-67 with two minutes left.
Baker answered again with a fall away three, then a Wesely drive was blocked to give Rutgers the ball. Baker missed a shot at the top of the key, Notre Dame rebounded and called a timeout with 59.7 left.
Hubb drove to the basket and got a good look, which just rimmed out. The Irish would have to stop Rutger twice on their final possession and they would. The Scarlet Knights missed their first shot, got an offensive rebound with about 12 seconds left, wound down the clock and a Baker fall away came up short and the teams went into overtime.
Rutgers missed their first shot of overtime, Goodwin rebounded it, was fouled and hit one free throw to give the Irish the early lead.
The overtimes were a test of will as both teams landed haymaker after haymaker to both teams. With time winding down in the first overtime, Wesley drove and converted to force a second extra session. In that second extra session, the same scenario presented itself, Wesley drove, missed the shot but Atkinson Jr. was there to tip it back in with 1.2 remaining for the game winning points.
UP NEXT
The Irish will jump on a plan to San Diego to face No. 6 seed Alabama in the first round of the tournament on Friday, March 18, at 4:15 p.m. ET.