(Getty)
Final Score
Notre Dame 38-33 — 71
North Carolina 34-36 — 70
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are slowly climbing the Top 25 game-by-game. With a crucial 71-70 road win over the North Carolina Tar Heels, they have won 11 games in a row.
Click here for the game’s full box score.
Here is how the game unfolded:
Notre Dame’s Hot Start Helped Give Them a 4-Point Halftime Edge
Notre Dame shot 48% from the field in the 1st-half, including 5-for-12 from 3-point range and took a 38-34 lead into halftime. The Fighting Irish were led by sophomore guard Demetrius Jackson who had 12 points.
North Carolina took their 1st, and only, lead of the game when they scored the game’s 1st field goal to make it 2-0. The Tar Heels never tied or held a lead for the remainder of the half. Junior guard Marcus Paige led UNC in scoring with 10 points — the only Tar Heel in double figures in the 1st-half.
The Fighting Irish’s led by as much as 10 points.
The Tar Heels Late Run Fell Just Short as the Fighting Irish Held on for the Win
https://twitter.com/IndyStarSports/status/552284655345729536/photo/1
With 14:02 remaining in the 2nd-half, Notre Dame took an 11-point lead — their largest lead of the game — at 55-44. From that point, North Carolina outscored Notre Dame 26-16 in the final quarter of the game.
With 18 seconds remaining, North Carolina possessed the ball down 71-70 and ran a play for Paige, but he missed a moderately contested layup and UNC was forced to foul. Notre Dame’s Steve Vasturia was fouled and went to the free-throw line to try and make it a 3-point game inside four seconds, but missed both free throws, which gave the Tar Heels a small window of hope. Time was against them and Paige chucked a contested, desperation shot over three ND defenders in the final second.
Forward Zach Auguste led the fighting Irish in scoring with 18 points shooting 6-for-10 from the field and making all six free throws he attempted. The Tar Heels were led by Paige with 15 points, but on an inefficient 6-for-17 shooting from the field.
