Neither team set the nets on fire, but it counts all the same as the East Region’s No. 6 seed, Notre Dame, outlasted No. 7 Wisconsin 61-56 on Friday to advance to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. The Irish return to the Elite Eight for a second straight season.
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After Bronson Koenig’s layup attempt at the other end went hard off the rim, Jackson hit a pair of free throws to put Notre Dame up three before Jackson grabbed another steal from Koenig to seal the game.
Brey appeared to injure himself in the closing seconds and limped through the handshake line with a grin. Ryan’s three capped an Irish rally as Notre Dame tied MI in the second half after trailing by 12 points.
Hayes did lead the Badgers in rebounds (8) and was tied for the team high in assists (3) against Xavier, but his 2-10 shooting and 0-5 from three won’t cut it against a Notre Dame team that, when clicking offensively, is tough to outscore.
Wisconsin got 14 points and 12 rebounds from freshman Ethan Happ, who fouled out with 47 seconds left after putting the Badgers up by two points.
A Showalter tip-slam just under the eight-minute mark gave Wisconsin a 39-38 lead, and the junior drove for a layup on the next possession to give the Badgers a 41-38 lead.
It all got away from the Badgers so quickly, a 19-second lapse that did them in.
The result was a shocking one considering the Badgers had a lead with 19 seconds to go, but the final moments of the game were equally unexpected following a slog of a game that featured offensive ineptitude by both teams.
Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer had called McCall one of the nation’s most improved players Thursday.
“We wouldn’t have been here if you looked at a poll on December 15”, UW head coach Greg Gard said. “I think I really saw him turn the corner more after our game at home against Nebraska where he really struggled”.
Notre Dame (24-11) advanced to meet the victor of the late semifinal between top-seeded North Carolina (30-4) and fifth-seeded IN (27-7) IN Sunday’s regional final. “Some of us not being in rhythm and not hitting shots”.
“And those were some good inside players on both those teams, experienced players”. “I promised I wouldn’t recite any of them this weekend for them”, Gard said.
For Wisconsin to win this game, they’re going to have to force Notre Dame into foul trouble. They scored 70 or more points 13 times this season.
He has at least one more Notre Dame game to coach.
Notre Dame forced 10 of Wisconsin’s 17 turnovers in the second half.
If Wisconsin can avoid fouls and turnovers, it will give less easy shots to the Irish.
But the Irish shook off a miserable shooting game down the stretch and have their first Final Four since 1978 in sight.
“Hopefully we can keep getting wins, keep it going”, he said.
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Jackson said he told teammate Bonzie Colson to drop back to half court to prevent a long inbounds pass, but Colson stayed forward and actually knocked the inbounds pass out of Hayes’ hands.
