[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hat started as a very good week for the Fighting Irish after Notre Dame went ahead over Duke, things went sour during the team’s trip to Pittsburgh.
Jerian Grant (22) hits a fade away during Wednesday’s highly anticipated match up between Notre Dame and Duke. Evan J. Thomas/The Pit
No. 8 Notre Dame survives No. 4 Duke, 77-73
Despite falling behind by as much as 10 points in the second half, Notre Dame fought back behind Jerian Grant to sneak past Duke, 77-73.
Grant led both teams in scoring with 23 points while posting a double-double with 12 assists. He shot 9-for-15 with six points from long range. Pat Connaughton also earned a double-double with 13 points and 12 total rebounds.
Duke gave Notre Dame trouble throughout the match up, making it difficult for the Irish to score in the paint. At the half, the Blue Devils had a 10 point advantage in the paint with 24 points, but by the final buzzer Notre Dame was down by just six points for a total of 32.
“That one absolutely lived up to the hype. Two really good teams going at it,” Irish head coach Mike Brey said following the game. “I told my team after the game, `Down 10, you’ve got them right where you want them, don’t you fellas? Thanks a lot. Thanks for doing that to me again.’ We make a habit of it, but you can’t say enough about our two seniors tonight for making us believe and helping us win. So, again, proud of our group. I think we continue to get better. It’s February and we’re still getting better.”
Brey made note of Notre Dame’s ability to fall behind by 10 points or more before the team loosens up and goes all in. Just under four minutes into the second half, Duke exploded for a 10-2 run that saw the Blue Devils up by no more than 10 with 11:41 remaining in the game at 63-53.
“It’s funny, this group, they’ve been down. But the last seven, eight minutes of games, we’ve guarded the heck out of people,” Brey said. “And we switch a lot of stuff, and we just kind of lock in there. I know we’re thoroughly exhausted, but we kind of fight through it. And we really have defended to win, to come back.
“Yeah, we make big shots and Grant gets going, but it’s locking in defensively when it’s really on the line. I don’t know why we have to do that when we’re down 10,” Brey said.
Tyus Jones scooped under Connaughton to sink two, causing the Irish senior to flip upside down and slam his head hard off the court. The air seemingly was sucked out of the raucous Purcell Pavilion at this point but after a few seconds Connaughton was up on his own and escorted to the back.
Brey commented that he was yelling “Where’s Pat?” during a timeout. After being told Connaughton was in the tunnel and needed a couple minutes, the Notre Dame coach considered calling two more timeouts to get Connaughton back onto the court.
At the 11:41 mark, Connaughton made his return and helped spark the rally that would see Notre Dame to victory.
“He took a heck of a spill. But what a warrior,” Brey commented about Connaughton’s fall. “Again, Grant and Connaughton. I always felt in the offseason after a tough season last year, with those two guys we’ve got a shot. Those two guys are rocks, they’re really talented guys (and) they’ve won together a lot. We’ve got a chance with those guys setting the tone.”
The Irish sparked a 12-point run to go up 67-65 over the Blue Devils. Duke would retake the lead with 4:21 remaining at 69-67, but the Irish shifted momentum and took the game from Duke.
“I’ve been a coach 20 years, and again I owe a lot to Mike (Krzyzewski). We talked a little bit before and I congratulated him and told him I was honored to be a part of some of that run,” Brey said about getting a win over his former boss. “But it’s about our team now, and when our program can beat the programs like Duke and North Carolina, especially now that we’re in this league, it’s a great endorsement of who we are in this league and becoming a factor again like we did in the Big East. We had to do it in the Big East with Syracuse, Georgetown, and UConn. And you had to get those guys to be taken seriously in the league. And certainly you’ve got North Carolina and Duke already this year. OK, these guys do belong in the SEC.”
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Rally falls short as Notre Dame falls to Pitt
The Irish fell short Saturday afternoon after a late-game rally saw Notre Dame nearly beat Pitt, 76-72. Demetrius Jackson led the Irish with 15 points on the day.
Notre Dame Head Coach Mike Brey during Wednesday’s game against Duke. Evan J. Thomas/The Pit
Irish leader Jerian Grant was held to just five points in the first half before scoring nine straight points in the second for a total of 14. With 31 seconds left, Grant sunk two shots from the line to give Notre Dame the 72-71 lead. Pitt’s James Robinson hit the go-ahead basket with just 12 seconds remaining in the game to secure the lead for his team.
Steve Vasturia — who notched 12 points — nearly hit a three from the corner before the ball bounced off the rim. Head coach Mike Brey commented that he thought his team had stolen another victory with Vasturia’s shot.
“The way we’ve been winning, I’m thinking we may steal another one,” Brey said. “We’ve had two thefts this week already. We’re 2-1 in thefts.”
Notre Dame will host Boston College at home Wednesday. The Irish post a 20-3 overall record, going 8-2 in the ACC for a second place spot.
