WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Notre Dame men’s basketball team built a seven-point lead at Wake Forest on Saturday with 7:46 remaining. However, the Demon Deacons (20-9, 12-6) chipped away at the foul line, where they went a perfect 19-19 today, to claim a three-point lead with 12 seconds left. The Fighting Irish (12-17, 6-12) got off three three-point attempts before the final buzzer but couldn’t get it to go, falling 71-74.
Markus Burton was once again a walking bucket, totaling 29 points on 9-16 shooting, plus 9-10 from the free-throw line. He has now totaled 59 points over two games this week. Burton also dished out a team-high four assists today.
Tae Davis was next with 15 points, seven boards and three assists. Kebba Njie recorded his fourth game of the season in double figures with 10 points on 5-8 shooting from the floor.
Nikita Konstantynovskyi grabbed a team high nine boards, making his second start of the season. Freshman Cole Certa came off the bench and drained two triples to finish with eight points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
At the 11:19 media timeout, Notre Dame had jumped out to a 13-6 lead as their taller starting lineup flustered Wake Forest, forcing them to a 3-14 shooting start.
At just under eight minutes, Tae Davis drove, spun and scored forcing a Wake Forest timeout with the Irish now up 20-10. Davis was 3-5 from the field at this point with nine points.
Soon after the timeout, the Demon Deacons defense frustrated the Irish. In fact, Notre Dame coughed it up six times over the next five minutes, allowing Wake to fire off a 13-2 scoring run to claim their first lead of the game at 22-23.
Notre Dame needed a basket badly to stymie the momentum and they turned to the Markus Burton. The sophomore drained a three then next possession drove the lane for the layup. Soon after, Cole Certa drained a corner three, allowing the Irish to storm into halftime with a 30-25 advantage.
The story of the first half was turnovers. Notre Dame committed 12 compared to five from Wake Forest. Points off turnovers were 0 to 14 in Wake’s favor as a result. However, the Irish were dominating the glass up 21-14. At the midway point, ND was 11-24 from the field plus 4-10 from deep while Wake Forest was 11-33 overall and 1-9 from three.
Fast forward to 10:19 remaining and the Irish just capped a hot 6-6 shooting stretch to claim a 51-42 lead. Burton, Sundra, Njie and Roper II all contributed during this span.
The Irish kept attacking the basket and extended the perfected shooting stretch to 8-8 from the field as some tough takes from Burton kept ND ahead 58-53 at the 7:20 media. Burton had just surpassed 20 points at this juncture.
Wake Forest got back into the game by wracking up ND fouls and converting at the line. Then a 7-1 scoring flurry gave the lead back to the Demon Deacons, 61-62, with 4:03 to play.
The Irish only had one made field goal from the seven minute mark on – a Njie layup at 1:20. However, they were able to get to the free throw line to keep it a one-possession game. Notre Dame ultimately finished 18-26 from the stripe.
With just under a minute remaining and the Demon Deacons up one, Cameron Hildreth put up a deep three but was fouled on the play. He knocked down all three to give Wake its biggest lead of the game up four.
Konieczny and Burton knocked down three combined free throws on separate possessions to cut it back to one. ND then sent Wake to the line where they remained perfect, as Hunter Sallis connected on both.
Out of the timeout, Certa had a good look at the top of the arc, and both Burton and Davis put up desperation threes but luck wasn’t on the Irish’s side as they fell 71-74.
Notre Dame finished 24-50 (.480) from the floor and 5-18 from three compared to Wake Forest’s 26-59 (.441) and 3-13 from deep.
UP NEXT
The final week of the regular season awaits and the Irish get to end it at home with two games. Up first, Dorm Night on Wednesday, March 5, at 9 p.m. ET, when Notre Dame hosts Stanford. Then it’s Senior Day on Saturday, March 8, at 4 p.m. ET when Cal rolls into Purcell Pavilion.
– ND –