March 14, 2015

Recap | Box Score | Quotes | USATSI Photo Gallery

University of Notre Dame Men’s Basketball
#11/9 Notre Dame 74, #2/2 Duke 64
ACC Tournament Semifinals
March 13, 2015
Greensboro Coliseum | Greensboro, North Carolina

Notre Dame Postgame Notes

TEAM

• Notre Dame has advanced to the title game of a conference tournament for the first time in program history … prior to tonight, the Irish had been 0-6 all-time in the semifinals of a league tournament (all BIG EAST).
• No. 2 Duke is the highest-ranked opponent the Fighting Irish have defeated since they topped No. 1 Syracuse, 67-58, on Jan. 21, 2012.
• Notre Dame is 10-17 under Mike Brey versus teams ranked in the top-5 of the AP poll … the Irish are 2-2 against top-5 teams this season and 5-2 versus all ranked foes … this is the first time Notre Dame has defeated two AP top-five teams in the same season since the 2002-03 campaign (#2 Texas, #4 Pittsburgh).
• Notre Dame’s 28 wins (28-5) this season are the second-most in program history … Notre Dame went 33-7 in 1908-09.
• The Fighting Irish are 11-3 this season in games played away from Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center (7-2 road, 4-1 neutral) … the 11 road/neutral victories are the most for Notre Dame since the 2001-02 campaign when the Irish won 13 away from home (13-7).
• Tonight was the 25th meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Duke and the fourth as ACC counterparts … the Irish have won three of the four showdowns over the past two campaigns, including two of three this season … the Blue Devils lead the series 20-5 … this was Notre Dame’s first win over Duke away from South Bend (1-16).
• Over the last three seasons no team has defeated Duke more than twice except the Fighting Irish, who have three wins over the Blue Devils in the last two campaigns.
• Notre Dame shot 50 percent (25-50) from the field … the Irish have shot 50 percent or better in 21 games this season.
• The Irish were 22-of-25 (.880) from the free throw line … it was the second-highest percentage from the line this season for Notre Dame.
• The Fighting Irish were 2-of-8 from three-point range … both the makes and attempts were season lows.
• Notre Dame led 41-26 at halftime … the Irish are 22-2 this season when ahead at the intermission.

PLAYERS
Bonzie Colson (Fr./F)

• Matched a career-high mark with 17 points … scored in double-figures for the fifth time this season (fourth time in last six games).

Pat Connaughton (Sr./G-F)

• Moved into second place on Notre Dame’s all-time games played list … Connaughton has played in all 134 games during his career … Tory Jackson is the program leader in games played (136).
• Had his 22-game streak with a made three-pointer snapped.

Jerian Grant (Sr./G)

• Scored in double-figures (13 points) for a team-best 30th time this season (95th time of his career) … has reached double-figures in each of the last eight games, which is the longest active streak on the team.

Demetrius Jackson (So./G)

• Netted double-figures (15 points) for the fourth straight game and the 27th time this season (34th time of his career).

NO. 3 NOTRE DAME 74, NO. 2 DUKE 64

• With Friday night’s 74-64 win over second-seeded Duke, third-seeded Notre Dame (28-5) advances to Saturday’s 8:30 p.m. national championship game against fifth-seeded North Carolina (24-10).
• The Fighting Irish have reached their first-ever title game in a conference tournament in just their second year as an ACC member. Notre Dame improved to 2-1 in the ACC Tournament after dropping a first-round decision to Wake Forest last year.
• Notre Dame’s 28 wins are the second-most in school history, and the most since the 1908-09 team went 33-7.
• Notre Dame, playing at the Greensboro Coliseum for the third time in four years, squared its record in those appearances to 2-2. The Fighting Irish fell to Xavier, 67-63, in the second round of the 2012 NCAA Regionals and fell the Wake Forest in aforementioned ACC Tournament game by an 81-69 score last year. The Irish defeated Miami, 70-63, in Thursday night’s quarterfinal before knocking off the Blue Devils on Saturday night.
• This year marks the fourth year that the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the ACC Tournament have been defeated in the semifinals (also 1954, 1958 and 1990).
• This will mark the first year since 2009 that neither a No. 1 or a No. 2 seed have reached the ACC Tournament title game (No. 3 Duke defeated No. 4 Florida State, 79-69 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta).
• Notre Dame and North Carolina met once during the regular season, with the Fighting Irish claiming a 71-70 win at Chapel Hill, N.C., on Jan. 5.
• Notre Dame will seek to become the ninth No. 3 seed to win the ACC Tournament.
• With Notre Dame’s win on Friday night, the No. 3 seed now stands 14-17 vs. the No. 2 seed in all-time ACC Tournament games.
• With 17 points in Friday night’s game, Notre Dame freshman Bonzie Colson reached double figures for the fifth time in his collegiate career. Colson, who scored 14 points in the first half, has scored at least 16 points in four of his last six games.
• With 15 points against the Blue Devils, Notre Dame sophomore Demetrius Jackson reached double figures for the 27th time this season and 34th time in his career.
• With his 13 points, Notre Dame senior Jerian Grant registered 30 double-figure games this season and 95 for his career.
• Notre Dame will seek to become the 13th school to sweep the ACC men’s and women’s tournaments in the same season.
• The Fighting Irish would join NC State (1987), North Carolina (1994, 1997, 1998, 2007 and 2008) and Duke (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2010 and 2011).
• Notre Dame won the rubber match and beat Duke for the second time this season. The Irish also won at home 77-73 and lost in Durham 90-60.
• Second-seeded Duke had its 12-game winning streak snapped and is now 29-4. The loss meant the Blue Devils have gone four years without winning the ACC tournament, their longest stretch since a six-year drought from 1993-98.
• Their 19 championships are the most of any ACC team.
• Duke is now 94-43 all-time in the ACC Tournament and 39-18 in Greensboro, where it has won eight championships.
• Freshman center Jahlil Okafor scored 13 of Duke’s first 19 points and finished with 28, his 31st time in 32 games in double figures.
• In the first half Okafor was 7-for-11 but everyone else was 4-16 when only two other players scored. Duke trailed 41-26 at the half, tying its season low for points.. Its 64 total points were its second-lowest of the season (63 vs. Louisville).
• Freshman Justise Winslow, who went scoreless in the first half, scores 11 in the second half.
• The Blue Devils, who average just under eight 3-pointers per game, made only three, tied for their lowest output of the season. Their 17.6 percent mark from the arc (3-for-17) was their lowest of the year.