Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Matt Farrell ( Image Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)
Notre Dame found a way to keep their March Madness hopes alive. It took a furious rally for the Fighting Irish to pull off a stunning 71-65 win to advance in the ACC Tournament.
When senior Bonzie Colson banked in a three-point heave for Notre Dame that barely beat the shot clock the crowd at Barclays Center exploded. Fans of the Fighting Irish and Hokies were in disbelief. Two teams, one which looked dead in the water, the other finding a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
For Notre Dame, seeded 10th, their NCAA Tournament hopes received a huge lift with this win. They advanced to the quarterfinal round where they’ll matchup with second-seeded Duke.
Matt Farrell scored 22 points to lead Notre Dame. The senior guard, once again, was an emotional spark for his team.
The great comeback by Notre Dame was epic. But the complete collapse by Virginia Tech in the second half was brutal.
Collapse is an understatement.
Virginia Tech was in control of this game, the seventh-seeded Hokies held a 47-26 lead with just under 14 minutes left to play. Farrell knocked down his second consecutive three-point shot and that launched the comeback.
Colson’s three-point heave gave the Irish the lead. It also renewed hope their pursuit of a birth in the NCAA Tournament is still very much alive.
“Well, how about that one, huh?,” Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey said afterwards. “I’ve never been prouder of a group because they were thumping us pretty good, because they’re really hard to guard. But I thought in the second half, with the last 15 minutes, we got better defensively, and we made some adjustments.”
The Hokies turned it over 10 times and only shot 26.7 percent from long-range, 8-for-30. Notre Dame had them totally out of sync in the second half.
Notre Dame, Seniors, Overcoming Adversity
In a season where injuries to Farrell and Colson almost derailed their season, Brey’s team deserves credit for not giving up. But Brey was quick to put the emphasis on the leadership of his seniors as the main reason for his team’s ability to overcome adversity.
“Yeah, that’s really been key all year, too,” said Brey. “In the midst of losing seven in a row, in the midst of all the tough stuff that we’ve had unbelievable senior leadership and a great class. they do the talking in the huddles now.”
With his team down by 21 at the half, Brey’s message at halftime sums up his trust in his players, specifically his senior class.
“I didn’t say much at halftime.I went in and said to them, ya’ll figure it out. They’ve had ownership of themselves for a long time, and that really helps us in tough times.”
