NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Trailing North Carolina by 15 with less than nine minutes to play, the Fighting Irish staged an impressive comeback and used a huge three-pointer by sophomore Nate Laszewski with 2.4 seconds left to come away with a 77-76 win inside Purcell Pavilion on Monday evening.
Notre Dame received a huge performance from sophomore Prentiss Hubb, who finished with 20 points to lead the Irish offense. Gibbs had a big second half, scoring 11 of his 14 points in the final 20 minutes to help the comeback.
Senior John Mooney finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for his 21st double-double of the season and Laszewski added 11 points.
When we needed it most!@natelaszewski with a HUGE deep ball late 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Sl9l0V3jCi
— Notre Dame MBB (@NDmbb) February 18, 2020
HOW IT HAPPENED
After falling behind 15-13, Notre Dame went on a 9-0 run with 12:43 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Laszewski, to take a 22-15 lead. The Fighting Irish then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 36-33 advantage. Notre Dame got a great contribution from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for nine of its 36 total points.
North Carolina proceeded to take a 66-52 lead before Notre Dame went on a 9-0 run to shrink the deficit to 66-61 with 6:04 to go in the contest. The Fighting Irish kept the rally going and took the lead for good on Laszewski’s kickout three-pointer with 00:02 left for a 77-76 comeback victory. Notre Dame shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting seven shots from deep to score 21 of its 41 points.
NOTRE DAME PLAYER OF THE GAME
Hubb scored 15 of his team-high 20 points in the second half against the Tar Heels. The sophomore was great at getting to the rim and finishing in the final 20 minutes of play, going 5-for-5 from inside the arc in the second stanza. Hubb also excelled as the primary distributor, dishing out a game-high eight assists.
NOTRE DAME STAT OF THE GAME
The Irish defense put the clamps on the Tar Heel offense over the final stretch of the game, sparking the comeback. Notre Dame allowed the visitors just three made field goals over the final eight minutes of action.
NOTES
- Mooney’s double-double is his 21st of the season and 42nd of his career.
- Hubb’s 20-point scoring outburst gives him seven games this season scoring at least 20 points, the most of any player on the team.
- Notre Dame recorded just six turnovers, matching their season low. The Irish have now given up less than 10 turnovers in 13 games this season.
- With 11 makes from three-point range the Irish have now recorded double-digit threes in 13 games this season.
- For the 17th time this season Durham recorded multiple blocks in a game, finishing with two in the game.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Irish are back in action at Purcell Pavilion at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 23, as Notre Dame welcomes Miami to town. The game will air on ACCN and will be available to stream through the WatchESPN app (subscription required).
