The University of Notre Dame men’s basketball team (9-5, 3-1) won its third consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference game on Saturday night at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, Georgia, taking down Georgia Tech (6-8, 0-4) in overtime 72-68.
The Irish were led by freshman Blake Wesley’s 22 points, senior Dane Goodwin’s 14 second-half points and clutch plays from senior Prentiss Hubb (10 points, nine assists) and graduate student Paul Atkinson Jr. (16 points, 8-9 from the field).
Georgia Tech was paced by Michael Devoe, the ACC’s leading scorer, with 20 points while Jordan Usher added 16.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams started the game struggling from the field offensively. Notre Dame missed six of its first seven shots, some of them clean looks, while the Yellow Jackets were not much better, connecting on two of six shots.
Georgia Tech worked out to a 15-9 lead at the second media timeout by converting four of five shots as the Irish continued to pile up missed shots. Atkinson Jr., who came off the bench for the first time this season on Saturday night, scored two early inside buckets including a dunk to give the Irish offense some life.
Wesley kept the Irish close with seven straight points, but also had a couple turnovers and two missed shots during the run and Georgia Tech was able to maintain a 23-16 lead with 6:33 left in the first half.
Notre Dame switched to an active 2-3 zone to get back into the contest, as Atkinson Jr. continued to assert himself on offense. He scored three of four Irish buckets at the rim and the Irish had cut the home team lead down to two points with 3:16 remaining. The zone defense kept the early hot-shooting Yellow Jackets off balance as they missed seven of eight shots during the Notre Dame run.
Georgia Tech settled down and pushed the lead back to six points as the teams traded three point field goals in the final minute of the half.
Goodwin finished the first half scoreless, but scored two quick baskets early in the second half to provide the Irish with some momentum. Notre Dame continued to get to the rim, as a lay up by Atkinson Jr. on a great feed from Goodwin, a Hubb lay up in transition and a Wesley jumper off an offensive rebound tied the game at 41 with 15:10 remaining.
The run finished at 11-0 after a Goodwin transition dunk and a Hubb three pointer. DeVoe came right back for Georgia Tech to hit a corner three and cut the Irish lead to two at 46-44 with 11:36 remaining.
The Irish were able to push the lead to five points on a Wesley drive-and-one, but Georgia Tech banked in a three pointer to cut the lead back to two points. The home team then earned a one-point lead on an old-fashioned three-point play to put themselves up one with 5:59 left.
Goodwin came back to score with a tough shot in the post, then an Atkinson Jr. put back gave the Irish a one point lead with 2:10 left. Again, Devoe came back to put Georgia Tech in the lead with an and-one. Wesley attempted to match the play, but was hacked driving to the basket with no call and soon the Irish found themselves down four with 1:40 left.
Goodwin cut the lead to two quickly, then after a big defensive stop Wesley rose up to connect on a three pointer to give the Irish a one-point lead.
The Irish defense held Devoe to a wild lay up attempt and Laszewski grabbed the rebounds. While falling out of bounds, the threw the ball away to Georgia Tech’s Dallan Coleman who was fouled and went to the line, down one point with two shots and just 28 seconds left.
Coleman missed the second free throw and the Irish offense got a decent free throw line look from Hubb to win the game. The ball bounced off the rim, Atkinson Jr. grabbed the rebound and was tackled with no call. While both teams scrambled for the ball the game clock ran out and the teams would go to overtime tied at 62.
DeVoe connected on a fade away over Atkinson Jr. for first points of the extra period after both teams missed open three pointers, but Goodiwn quickly came back with a drive to tie it.
Hubb then stepped up with two consecutive plays, tapping away the ball for a steal on defense, then hitting a three pointer in the corner to put the Irish up 67-64 with 2:20 left.
Laszewski then put the Irish ahead to stay after another defensive stop, drilling a three pointer to cap an 8-0 run and give Notre Dame a six point lead with 1:49 left. Georgia Tech had one more run in them. The Yellow Jackets cut the lead to two with 10 seconds remaining, but Notre Dame got the ball to their best free throw shooter, Goodwin, who calmly nailed both free throws to provide the final score.
NEXT UP
The Irish will return to Purcell Pavilion for their next game with Clemson, set for Wednesday, January 12, at 9 p.m. ET (Regional Sports Networks).