Down but Not Out; Irish Battle Back for Overtime Win Against Duke

WASHINGTON, DC – Forty minutes wasn’t enough time for Duke and Notre Dame to settle things during the second semifinal of the ACC Tournament.

The Devils and Irish needed an extra five, and when the final horn sounded, it was Duke/Notre Dame advancing with a 84-79 win.

The Irish will take on North Carolina at 7 p.m. on Friday. The Devils, meanwhile, appeared to finally tap out with its short roster.

“I thought we ran out of gas in overtime,” coach Mike Kryzewski said. “We had a good look to win the game. That’s what we have to manage, we have to manage that.”

Duke freshman guard Luke Kennard missed a jumper at the end of intermission, sending the game into OT. Overtime was something none of the fans in attendance saw coming at one point.

Notre Dame appeared to be dead and buried – down 16 midway through the second half – but heated up, knocking down three after three and taking advantage of a suddenly cold shooting Duke team.

Beachem tied the game at 70 with a deep three, and Notre Dame no longer looked like the same team. They were the aggressors, with more able bodies than Duke. Bodies that suddenly found their groove. Demetrius Jackson got going. Auguste dominated the paint and everything seemed to go right for the Irish.

Notre Dame outscored Duke 14-9 in overtime. Once the Irish got the lead, they iced the game from the foul line, hitting 10 free throws after the game was tied at 70.

Game changer – Pick a spot in the second half. Any spot. Notre Dame suddenly couldn’t miss a shot, and Duke couldn’t buy one. The Irish had it going from the start, but the 12-0 run was the difference.

Numbers don’t lie 

3 – Number of Duke players who fouled out. Marshall Plumlee, Grayson Allen and Chase Jeter all took early trips to the bench for the Blue Devils.

22 – Number of rebounds collected by Notre Dame forward Zach Auguste. That ties Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan for second all-time in ACC Tournament history.

5 of 6 – Mike Brey has won five of the last six against Mike Krzyzewski.

Standouts 

Zach Auguste, Notre Dame – Senior forward was a force, scoring 19 points and grabbing 22 boards.

“They were relentless,” Coach K said about Auguste and Bonzie Colson, who added 12 rebounds of his own.

V.J. Beachem, Notre Dame – Irish forward had 19 points and collected on 4 of 7 threes.

Grayson Allen, Duke – Finished with a game-high 27 points. Also had three assists and four steals.

Brandon Ingram, Duke – Rookie left the ACC tournament with 16 points and seven rebounds.

What’s next? – The Irish will take on North Carolina in the semis, a trip to the ACC title game on the line. Notre Dame defeated Carolina 80-76 in January.

“I think they’re better than when we played them,” Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. “It really comes down to controlling the paint and rebounding.”