NCAAB Game Recap - Notre Dame at Georgia Tech
Tue Mar 12, 2019 2:37 PM EDT

Bingha
51
Vermt
84
F
FaDi
85
StFPA
76
F
NE
82
Hof
74
F
NoKY
77
WriSt
66
F
Alc
66
PVAM
86
F
StMar
60
Gonz
47
F
South
70
TXSo
80
F
NDSU
73
NebOm
63
F
Hartfo
85
UMBC
90
F(2OT)
ASU
58
JackSt
49
F
ArkPB
52
Gram
59
F
App
80
ULM
89
F
Morg
71
Copp
81
F
SCSt
63
MD-ES
54
F
ArkSt
67
USA
75
F
ND
78
GaTec
71
F
Pitt
80
BC
70
F
Wake
71
Mia-FL
79
F

Mar 12, 2019, 2:37 PM EDT

Final

1

2

T

(15) Notre Dame

52

26

78

(10) Georgia Tech

32

39

71

Mooney, Irish defeat Georgia Tech 78-71 to break 7-game skid
Tue Mar 12, 2019 5:49 PM

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Notre Dame coach Mike Brey has been waiting all season for his team to figure out how to make a big plays in clutch situations.

He finally got it Tuesday - on the biggest stage of the season.

John Mooney made a key 15-footer in the final minute as the shot clock was winding down to make it a two-possession game as Notre Dame held on to beat Georgia Tech 78-71 in the first round of the ACC Tournament to snap a seven-game losing streak.

Mooney finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Dane Goodwin added 15 points for the Irish, who nearly squandered a 20-point halftime lead.

"We have been in search of that big play," Brey said. "We have played people close in this league but we have not been able to get over the hump with a big offensive possession."

Brey praised Mooney for his effort this season saying he's not sure how the 6-foot-9, 243-pound power forward has any energy left at all.

"We have rode him so hard and he just goes double-double against unbelievably athletic front lines night after night," Brey said.

It was Mooney's 20th double-double of the season, coming days after he was named third-team All-Conference, which he called an honor.

"There's obviously some great players in this league, probably some first-round and second-round draft picks coming up in the NBA Draft, so it's awesome to be able to compete against those guys," Mooney said.

Moses Wright led Georgia Tech (14-18) with 25 points and James Banks III had 12 points and 11 rebounds.

It was Notre Dame's first victory since defeating the Yellow Jackets 69-59 in South Bend, Indiana, on Feb. 10 and only their fourth win of the calendar year.

The Irish (14-18) didn't play like the last place team in the ACC in the first half, shooting 58 percent from the field to build a 52-32 lead over the 10th-seeded Yellow Jackets.

Georgia Tech picked up the intensity with full-court pressure in the second half and cut the Irish lead to six with 1:56 remaining on a 3-pointer from the left wing by Jose Alvarado. After an Irish miss, Moore sank a 3 from the right corner and the lead was suddenly down to 72-69 with 1:06 remaining.

But Mooney didn't panic, calmly drilling a 15-footer as the shot clock was winding down. Prentiss Hubb then sank two free throws after a Georgia Tech miss to put the Irish safely up by seven with 32 seconds left.

Michael Devoe cut the lead to five on a layup, but Juwan Durham blocked Devoe on the next possession to help seal the win.

IRISH SHOOTING

Georgia Tech was fifth in the country in 3-point defense, but Notre Dame blistered them by hitting 8 of 14 from beyond the arc, including 7 of 11 in the first half.

"They shot the daylights out of it the first half," Georgia Tech coach Josh Pastner said. "We were just on our heels, in a sense, and they were just making those 3s."

Said Brey: "We shot a crazy percentage today."

ALVARDO STRUGGLES

Georgia Tech's Jose Alvarado struggled, finishing with three points on 1-of-8 shooting.

"Jose had a tough game and in this league your guard play has to be good every time you step on the floor," Pastner said. "... Jose didn't play his best, and obviously that was a struggle for us."

BIG PICTURE

Notre Dame: Nate Laszewski had 14 points on the 3-pointers for the Irish before leaving late in the first half with a lower back bruise after landing hard on the floor. He left after a collision with Georgia Tech's Brandon Alston under the basket. Laszewski remained on the court for several minutes before being helped to the locker room by trainers. X-rays on his back were negative, but he didn't return. Brey didn't sound optimistic about Laszewski's chances of playing in the second round against Louisville. "We'll try and get him loose for tomorrow, but the group that played pretty much the whole second half may be the group we have to play," Brey said.

Georgia Tech: It was a tough ending to a tough season for the Yellow Jackets, who won only six ACC games during the regular season. But the core of the team is returning next season so they should only be better next year.

UP NEXT

Notre Dame: Faces seventh-seeded Louisville on Wednesday night. The Irish lost 75-61 to the Cardinals on March 3.

Georgia Tech: Season over.

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More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25

Leaders

Notre Dame PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
J. Mooney 20 0 3 10 0 0
D. Goodwin 15 0 2 5 0 0
Georgia Tech PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
M. Wright 25 0 3 7 1 2
J. Banks III 12 0 4 11 0 3

Team Comparison

ND GaTec
Points For 78 71
Field Goals 27/57-47% 31/60-52%
Three Pointers 8/14-57% 7/20-35%
Free Throws 16/23-70% 2/7-29%
Offensive Rebounds 13 8
Defensive Rebounds 24 20
Rebounds 40 28
Blocks 5 5
Steals 3 4
Turnovers 7 6
Personal Fouls 10 17
Technical Fouls 0 0
Ejections 0 0

2018-19 Reg Season - ND Leads Series 2-1

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Tue Jan 22 ND 61 @ GaTec 63 J. Mooney 22 J. Alvarado 16
Sun Feb 10 GaTec 59 @ ND 69 M. Devoe 18 T. Gibbs 20
Tue Mar 12 ND 78 @ GaTec 71 J. Mooney 20 M. Wright 25

Game Information

Stadium: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
Attendance: 0
Game Time: