ND MBB vs. Texas Tech Box Score
The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team (24-11) saw its gutsy March Madness run come to an end with a 59-53 loss to Texas Tech (27-9) in the second round of the 2022 NCAA tournament at Viejas Arena on the campus of San Diego State University Sunday night.
It was a defensive battle, with neither team earning more than a seven point lead in the low scoring affair. The Red Raiders eventually earned the victory at the free throw line after finishing the game just one-for-11 from the field. Notre Dame saw its three point lead with just over two minutes to go erased behind untimely turnovers and missed defensive rebounds.
Senior Dane Goodwin led the Irish with 14 points and eight rebounds while freshman Blake Wesley added 11 points and eight rebounds of his own.
Texas Tech was paced by Kevin Obanor with 15 points and 15 rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Notre Dame edged out a 7-6 lead at the first media timeout as both teams searched for their offensive groove. Williams scored four of the first six for Texas Tech on the block while Hubb connected on his first three pointer of the game.
Texas Tech earned its first lead on a 7-0 run fueled by Notre Dame committing three turnovers and being unable to score for over five minutes. The Red Raiders scrambling defense was giving the Irish issues, but Notre Dame did miss a layup and a clean look from behind the arc during the run.
Goodwin ended the run with a three pointer off a nice find from Wesley to cut the lead to 13-10 with nine minutes left. Laszewski followed with a three pointer in the corner and Notre Dame had erased the lead and tied the game at 13-13 with 7:32 remaining.
The Irish edged ahead 18-17 with two free throws from Paul Atkinson Jr. but now it was time for Texas Tech to answer. Back-to-back buckets from Kevin Obanor put the Red Raiders up 22-18 at the 3:47 mark.
Two free throws from Wesley got the Irish within two but the Red Raiders posted two buckets to stretch their lead back to six points. Trey Wertz then drove and found Cormac Ryan open on the wing for his first three pointer of the game to cut the lead to three with a minute left.
The Irish had the ball with :31 left and ran a set play with Wertz’s three just rimming out. Wesley rebounded the ball with six second left, drove, missed but grabbed his own rebound and powered it in to put the Irish down just one 26-25 at the break.
Tech worked their lead back to six in the first four minutes of the second half as the Irish started the period 1-for7 from the field.
The Notre Dame defense earned two charges on Texas Tech to keep the Raiders from pulling too far away. Wesley knifed through the defense with a lay up to cut the lead to two at 13:30, but yet again Texas Tech put together two buckets to push their lead back to six.
Atkinson Jr. then found Goodwin wide open at the top of the key for a three pointer and Notre Dame was back to within three with 12:25 left.
After another defensive stop Wesley drove and found Ryan open in the corner for a three pointer to tie the game at 39-39 to cap an Irish 6-0 run.
Two key calls then went against the Irish in the next segment of the game. Prentiss Hubb tracked down his own miss and found Laszewski wide open for a lay up, but the referee whistled the play dead to check the shot clock which was executed perfectly.
The points came off the board, but Notre Dame had a great possession with everyone on the team touching the ball to find Wertz open in the corner for a three pointer. A defensive stop later Hubb gave Notre Dame their largest lead of the game at four points.
But Tech answered yet again. A turn around jumper followed by a steal and break away that Wertz was called for a flagrant foul for pulling the player’s jersey. The Red Raiders were given two shots and the ball. A free throw tied it, then a three pointer gave Tech a three point lead.
Goodwin earned two shots on Notre Dame’s next possession but only connected on one. The Irish earned a stop and Glenn and Stacey Murphy Head Men’s Basketball Coach called a set play for Goodwin to get him an open three pointer. The senior sharp shooter delivered and the shot put the Irish up one point. Atkinson Jr. added a free throw a minute later to put the Irish up 49-47 with 3:49 left.
Texas Tech tied it with two free throws at the 3:30 mark and Wesley answered with a pull up jumper to put his team back up two. The Irish got a stop but on the next possession Wesley was fouled on a drive and converted one free throw to give the Irish a three point lead with 2:09 left.
Tech earned a second chance free throw opportunity off a missed shot and converted both to cut the lead to one. The Irish then committed a turnover, Tech missed yet another shot but got the rebound and two more foul shots to take the lead with 1:10 left.
The Irish worked the ball down low but Laszewski’s shot was blocked, Tech grabbed the rebound and Marcus Santos-Silva converted two more free throws to put his team up three.
Wesley then drove deep into the defense on the next possession but was swarmed by the Tech defenders, tried to throw it out to a shooter but the ball ended up out of bounds. The Red Raiders added two more free throws, then a dunk after a scramble on the next Irish miss to put the game away.