ATLANTA – Notre Dame (11-8, 1-5 ACC) made a dramatic rally at McCamish Pavilion on Tuesday evening but were unable to complete the comeback against Georgia Tech (11-8, 3-3 ACC), falling by a final score of 63-61.
The Irish were led on both ends of the floor by junior John Mooney, as the forward poured in 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to complete his ACC-best 11th double-double of the season. Freshman Nate Laszewski also impressed on the offensive end, posting a career-high 19 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It took less than 20 minutes for Mooney to secure his fifth straight double-double, as he led the Irish to a 30-28 lead at the half with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Notre Dame trailed by as many as seven with over five minutes left in the half before the Irish finished the frame by outscoring the hosts 14-5.
The two teams traded the lead for the first eight minutes of the second half before the Irish offense went quiet, allowing Georgia Tech to lead by as many as 11 points at 58-47 with five minutes to play. The Irish made a valiant comeback in the closing stages, cutting the lead to just two points on three occasions in the final three minutes but were unable to draw level. The Yellow Jackets escaped with a 63-61 victory.
NOTRE DAME PLAYER OF THE GAME
Mooney turned in another herculean performance for the Irish on Tuesday evening, notching his fifth straight double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds. The junior finished 10-of-20 from the floor and added two blocks, two steals and two assists. Mooney has now pulled down a combined 49 rebounds over his last three games.
NOTRE DAME STAT OF THE GAME
The Irish received a breakout performance from Laszewski, as the freshman scored a career-high 19 points on 5-of-10 shooting. The stretch forward tied his career high in three-point makes with four against the Yellow Jackets.
NOTES OF THE GAME
- The Irish recorded a season-high 20 offensive rebounds against Georgia Tech.
- Laszewski turned in his sixth double-digit scoring performance of the season, finishing with 19 points against the Yellow Jackets.
- Mooney produced his team and ACC-best 11th double-double of the season with 22 points and 14 rebounds. The junior now has 12 in his career.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame returns to Purcell Pavilion for an ACC showdown against No. 4/1 Virginia. Tip is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 26 and the game will air on CBS.
To purchase tickets Notre Dame men’s basketball tickets visit UND.com/BuyTickets.
— ND —