Notre Dame should have known Virginia was not going to let its six-game winning streak in the series go without a fight. That’s exactly what happened as a seemingly easy victory turned into anything but down stretch. Fortunately, the Irish survived the late push and left Purcell Pavilion with their undefeated home record intact. With the 69-65 victory, the Irish now are 9-0 in their own building.
When the Irish (14-6, 7-2) opened up a 15-point in the second half, things appeared to be in order. Though the Cavaliers (12-9, 6-5) eventually cut the lead to four, the Irish had built it back up to nine with just over a minute left. Then, the Cavaliers tightened up their defense, got rebounds and converted on offensive opportunities to get within two with eight seconds to go. Two Prentiss Hubb free throws iced the game, and Irish fans let out a collective exhale.
Where would the Irish be without the shooting of Nate Laszewski and Dane Goodwin, particularly from 3-point range? The two combined to go 7 of 11 from there in this game, and two finished with 16 points apiece. Paul Atkinson Jr. shot 7 of 12 from the field to score 14 points while also finishing a rebound short of a double-double. Blake Wesley also scored 14 and had a game-high seven assists.
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