Despite not starting for his second-straight game, Bonzie Colson dropped 31 points on Duke for Notre Dame’s first-ever win at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The forward’s 31 points also contributed to 38 points off the bench for the Irish compared to Duke’s 2. Colson also grabbed 11 rebounds. Notre Dame (12-5, 3-2) won, 95-91.
”After playing here, I feel like we can play anywhere,” Colson said following the game. ”This is the craziest atmosphere in college basketball. We try to find a chip on our shoulders coming into every game, and found it tonight.”
Colson was 12-for-19 and hit sunk all five shots from the line.
The Irish also received help from Demetrius Jackson, who dropped 24 points with a 10-of-16 mark and finished 4-for-5 at the free throw line. Steve Vasturia added 22 points of his own.
Despite a quiet night in scoring with just 9 points, Zach Auguste pulled down 14 rebounds to lead the Irish there.
Duke’s Luke Kennard posted a season-best of 30 points himself to lead the Blue Devils, but failed to overcome the fight in the Fighting Irish.
The win marks retribution against Duke after the Irish suffered a 30-point blowout loss last year to the Blue Devils.
Notre Dame returns to Purcell Pavilion Wednesday to take on Virginia Tech in ACC action with a 7 P.M. EST tipoff.
Auguste leads second half surge, Irish beat Georgia Tech
Zach Auguste (30) slams home the dunk against Georgia Tech Wednesday night at Purcell Pavilion. The senior rattled off 24 points to lead all scorers. Evan J. Thomas/The Pit
A slow start kept things close, but Zach Auguste’s explosive start to the second half helped Notre Dame to a 72-64 win over Georgia Tech.
Auguste came out fast, notching 11 points in first 10 minutes of the second half. He’d go on to lead all scorers with 24 points. He finished 10-for-13 with 9 rebounds.
Irish coach Mike Brey called Wednesday night’s late game a grinder, and Auguste said the best way to get through a grinder is to “stay mentally focused.”
“We’re a threat on the outside and the inside,” Auguste said of his team’s play.
Demetrius Jackson may have scored 18 points on the night to aid Auguste and the Irish in the lead, but he was just 2-for-11. Instead, he notched 13-of-14 free throws. He did flirt with a triple-double, posting 9 rebounds and 8 assists.
Bonzie Colson was benched for Wednesday’s contest, granting freshman Matt Ryan the chance to make his first collegiate start for the Fighting Irish. He helped the Irish with 10 points of his own in his first showing as a starter.
