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Some players don’t need to be top scorers or double-double machines to be remembered.
Some players don’t need to be top scorers or double-double machines to be remembered. Sometimes, you need to do a little bit of everything, especially in the clutch. Rex Pflueger was that a to a tee, and that legacy will be a shining example to future Notre Dame players. Check out some of his work in a comeback win over Toledo on Nov. 18:
It’s fitting we look at Rex Pflueger’s fifth season with Notre Dame on the fourth anniversary of his tip-in against Stephen F. Austin.
It’s fitting we look at Rex Pflueger’s fifth season with Notre Dame on the fourth anniversary of his game-winning tip-in against Stephen F. Austin in the 2016 NCAA tournament. That was a while ago, and the ACL tear that cost him almost all of 2018-19 made it seem even further away. But his drive to come back paid off as he started all 31 contests he played and set the program record for most games played in a career (141). To say he was a valuable part of this season’s Irish would be an understatement.
Though Pflueger averaged only 5.2 points a game on 33.6-percent shooting from the field, he led the Irish in steals (43), and a few of those came at opportune times. Two of his career-high six steals Nov. 21 vs. Toledo came in the final two minutes of regulation in a comeback win. Another steal led to a half-court bucket at the first-half buzzer of a one-point victory over Boston College on Feb. 26. The man had a knack for being clutch.
Before suffering an ACL tear Dec. 4 against Maryland, sophomore Robby Carmody was primed to be a key bench player in Notre Dame’s rotation.
Before suffering an ACL tear Dec. 4 against Maryland, sophomore guard Robby Carmody was primed to be a key bench player in Notre Dame’s rotation. The injury ended those plans prematurely, and the Irish never fully recovered from this hit to their depth. Fresh off a season where prominent players dropped left and right, this was the last thing they needed. Alas, they had no choice but to press on.
Carmody had bad luck with health even before he went down for good. He was held out Nov. 18 against Presbyterian while being in concussion protocol. Though he returned to face Toledo on Nov. 21, he suffered a shoulder contusion on a hard foul and played only five minutes.
Carmody got off to a promising start, averaging 9.0 points in his first three games before his early injuries caused him to tail off. He finished the season with a scoring average of 5.4 points and pulling down 1.6 rebounds a game. Here’s to a healthier and more productive junior season for him.
notre dame uses miracle to escape with fifth-straight win on hardwood
It certainly wasn’t a masterpiece but for those who took it in it was memorable as Notre Dame improved to 5-1 on the season after a borderline miraculous comeback against Toledo just to force overtime before winning in the extra frame.
Trailing by three with 6.8 seconds remaining Prentiss Hubb missed a free throw that was rebounded by Dane Goodwin who missed a put back before another offensive rebound by John Mooney and a quick kick-out found Temple Gibbs for the potential tie.
And Gibbs shot got stuck between the basket and backboard, forcing a jump-ball with just 1.5 seconds remaining.
The good news was that the possession arrow belonged to Notre Dame so they at least had a chance, which they would take full advantage of.
Nate Laszewski was shooting just 12.5% from beyond the arc entering Thursday night and at one point saw his season total dip to just 2 of 20 (10%) from three-point-range. He however stepped perfectly into the in-bounded bounce back and drilled the game-tying three as regulation expired, forcing overtime.
GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED pic.twitter.com/QofAkwIkt0
— Mike Rutherford (@CardChronicle) November 22, 2019
The Irish controlled things in OT as they didn’t allow a field goal until a meaningless, yet impressive buzzer-beater as the frame expired, escaping by the skin of their teeth with a 64-62 victory.
It was a night that very little went right for the Irish, shooting just 31.5% from the field and 8 of 35 from downtown (22.9%). Factor in going just 10 of 17 from the free throw line and the victorious escape is that much more stunning.
Goodwin led the way for Notre Dame with 16 points. Mooney who has been terrific this season missed Monday’s game against Presbyterian due to a stomach-virus and was just 3-of-11 from the field while scoring seven points.
Notre Dame returns to action Tuesday night when they host Farleigh Dickinson.
Previewing Wednesday’s Northern Illinois at Toledo college football matchup, with college football betting odds, picks and best bets
The Northern Illinois Huskies (3-6, 2-3 MAC) travel to meet the host Toledo Rockets (6-3, 3-2) Wednesday night at the Glass Bowl in a nationally televised game. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
We analyze the Northern Illinois-Toledo odds and betting lines, while providing college football betting tips and advice on this matchup.
1. Toledo can move within a half-game of first-place Western Michigan in the MAC’s West Division with a victory, joining Central Michigan at 4-2 in the conference. The Rockets already beat WMU and play CMU on Nov. 29.
2. Northern Illinois is coming off a 48-10 humbling at CMU, and the Huskies are 1-5 straight up and 3-3 against the spread on the road this season.
3. Toledo ranks 12th in the nation with 249.9 yards per game on the ground, but leading rusher RB Bryant Koback (leg) and dual-threat starting QB Mitchell Guadagni (undisclosed) are each question marks due to injuries. Koback was injured in the first half vs. Kent State last week, but RB Shakif Seymour stepped up and rumbled for a career-high 175 yards.
Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 7:55 p.m. ET.
Toledo 23, Northern Illinois 20
TOLEDO (-129) is a tad risky with injury issues to their two biggest offensive stars. However, the pregame notes show Koback listed as the starting tailback. Even if he cannot go, Seymour did a good job carrying the mail against the Golden Flashes last week. And QB Eli Peters stepped up with 332 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception while posting a 2-0 record in the past two games in place of Guadagni. So he, too, is more than capable if needed.
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Toledo returns a profit of $7.75.
Until there are zeroes on the clock you will not feel completely at ease with a play of TOLEDO (-2.5, -106). NIU (+2.5, -115) is barely hanging on this season, needing three straight wins to finish at 6-6 and gain bowl eligibility. The Huskies are a proud team that will not go easily into the night; however, they just do not have the guns this season, and they were blasted 48-10 in Mount Pleasant last week by a team with similar talent to Toledo.
The UNDER (53.5, -110) is a good play in this one, as Toledo’s strength is on the run game and thus regardless of whether Koback plays, the Rockets will be running. Teams that are run-heavy are friends of the ‘under’ bettor, as that chews up clock. NIU is a marginal offense, ranking 98th in total yards, so that helps the under, too.
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