January 11, 2014
Box Score | Notre Dame at Georgia Tech Box Score
ATLANTA (AP) – Trae Golden scored 20 points, Daniel Miller added 10 points and 13 rebounds and Georgia Tech beat Notre Dame 74-69 on Saturday.
Despite blowing a 15-point lead they held midway through the second half, the Yellow Jackets (10-6, 1-2 ACC) went ahead for good when Golden’s 3-pointer from the left wing made it 70-68 in the final minute.
Golden gave Georgia Tech its biggest lead at 15, but the Irish went on a 16-3 run to tie the game at 57 on Atkins’ three-point play.
Notre Dame (10-6, 1-2), playing its first ACC road game after spending the last 18 seasons in the Big East Conference, were led by Eric Atkins’ 20 points and Garrick Sherman’s 13.
Sherman missed his first nine field goal attempts, but hit six of his last nine shots, including a reverse layup to give the Irish a 68-67 lead with 1:15 remaining.
Georgia Tech began the game with a 10-26 ACC record under third-year coach Brian Gregory, but the Jackets led by as much as 13 in the first half on Marcus Georges-Hunt’s 3 from the left key.
Notre Dame came within two in the first on Demetrius Jackson’s layup at the 8:01 mark and on Steve Vasturia’s with 1:17 remaining, but Golden hit a pair of free throws to make it a four-play lead at intermission.
The Irish, playing just their second away game of the season on an opponent’s home court, trailed by as many as 15 in midway through the second half on Golden’s runner from the baseline at the 13:59 mark.
Chris Bolden hit a 3 from the left side on the ensuing possession, and Quinton Stephens jumper from the top of the key made it 62-57 at the 5:40 mark.
Notre Dame Postgame Notes
– This was the ninth meeting all-time between Notre Dame and Georgia Tech and the first since a 70-69 Yellow Jacket victory during the 2007 Paradise Jam … Georgia Tech leads the series 7-2 … this was Notre Dame’s first trip to Georgia Tech since the 1988-89 season … the Irish are 0-4 all-time at Georgia Tech.
– Notre Dame trailed 39-35 at halftime … the Irish are 2-6 this season when trailing at the intermission.
– Georgia Tech’s largest lead of the game was 15 points (54-39) with 13:59 left in the second half … Notre Dame responded with an 18-3 run to tie the contest 57-57 with 6:48 remaining … Notre Dame’s largest lead of the day was two points on two occasions.
– The Fighting Irish had 17 assists on their 28 made field goals and committed just eight turnovers … it was the seventh time this season Notre Dame had eight or fewer turnovers in a game.
– Pat Connaughton (10 pts, 10 rebs) and Garrick Sherman (13 pts, 12 rebs) both notched double-doubles … it was the first time two Irish players registered double-doubles in the same game since Connaughton and Sherman did so earlier this season versus Bryant (Dec. 9).
– Eric Atkins (Sr./G), Pat Connaughton (Jr./G), Demetrius Jackson (Fr./G), Zach Auguste (So./F) and Garrick Sherman (Sr./C) started today’s contest … it was the third straight game and the third time overall this season that quintet has started … the Irish are 1-2 with this starting lineup … Atkins, Connaughton and Sherman have started all 16 games this season … Jackson has started 11 games, while it was the third start for Auguste.
– The Fighting Irish are 0-2 this season when wearing blue uniforms.
– A three-pointer from Eric Atkins in the first half upped Notre Dame’s streak of consecutive games with a made three-pointer to 493.
Eric Atkins (Sr./G)
– Scored in double-figures (a game-high tying 20 points) for the fifth straight game, which ties a season-best streak … has reached double-figures 12 times this season and 61 times during his career.
– Has scored at least 20 points three times this season and seven times during his career.
– Played 39-plus minutes … has played at least 39 minutes in six games this season.
Austin Burgett (So./F)
– Scored a career-high 11 points … his previous career-high point total was seven against Miami (Ohio) and Stetson this season.
Pat Connaughton (Jr./G-F)
– Recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds … has six career double-doubles.
– Scored in double-figures for the third straight game and the 13th time this season (36th time of his career).
– Tied a career-high assist total with seven.
Garrick Sherman (Sr./C)
– Recorded his team-best fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds … it was his second straight game with a double-double … all five double-doubles have occurred in the last eight games.
– The 13 points upped his career-best double-figure scoring streak to 13 games, which is the longest streak for the Irish this season … has scored in double-figures in 14 games this season and 24 times in his career (23 at Notre Dame).