Streak busted: Brey technical, poor 2nd half doom Notre Dame
All good streaks come to an end, right?
But this one certainly didn’t need to halt Saturday night at Virginia Tech.
Notre Dame, which entered as a winner in six games in a row and seven of eight, led by double-digits in both the first and second halves but wilted down the stretch in a 79-73 loss at Virginia Tech.
The Hokies closed the game on a 6-0 run, holding the Irish (10-6, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) without a field goal for the game’s final 2 minutes, 47 seconds.
Tech got Irish post Paul Atkinson Jr. quickly into foul trouble in the second half, feeding Keve Aluma along the interior and seeing the quick whistles result in Atkinson’s third and fourth fouls less than 10 seconds apart.
Despite the work of Nate Laszewski and some matchup-zone attempts, the Irish had little to no answer for Aluma, who teamed with Justyin Mutts to score 41 of the Hokies’ 79 points.
“I don’t think we were as good defensively as we’ve been during those six straight,” said Irish coach Mike Brey. “We gave up 79 points. They just shot the heck out of it on us. Trying to take away the arc, but they made 10 of those (3-pointers). I just don’t think we were good enough defensively to win.”
Too, Tech was aided in the second half by a technical foul on Brey, moments after Atkinson’s foul woes and then when Laszewski was whistled for a foul that gave the Hokies an and-1 opportunity. Aluma made the Irish pay, converting the charity tosses into a lead that the Hokies commanded for all but two brief instances down the game’s final 5:52.
Dane Goodwin had 13 for the Irish, who also got 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and another turnover-free game from Prentiss Hubb in 35 minutes on the floor.
With Naheim Alleyne’s 22 and Storm Murphy’s 12, the Hokies placed four scorers in double figures and then needed little else in terms of supporting production.
Notre Dame wasn’t just totally outmanned inside, as the Hokies only had a four-point scoring edge in the interior (32-28) and a three-rebound margin (28-25). But the combination of the Irish’s defensive lapses and putrid second-half shooting spelled doom.
“Their frontline was really hard for us to handle, the two big guys,” Brey said. “Proud of our group, we kept giving ourselves a chance we just couldn’t get over the hump. But I’m very impressed with Virginia Tech. I know they’re only 1-4 in the league, but they’re very good. That’s how fragile the league is. You can get one league win, it’s just hard to get a league win. Tip the cap to Virginia Tech, made big plays at key times.
“I think they really went inside on us, and we were so worried about helping and giving up three-point shots, even though they made 10 3s. So I don’t know if we did a very good job of either today. The two big guys are relentless. They’re really good and physical and athletic and they’re just hard to guard, one-on-one. We kind of told Atkinson and Laszewski we’re not going to help you much because we don’t want them kicking it out to shooters. But they’re just hard to deal with.”
Blake Wesley scored 10 first-half points as Notre Dame seized control almost from the outset and maintained it well into the second half. The Irish led 40-32 at the break but saw the Hokies whip them, 47-32, across the final 20 minutes.
After Notre Dame shot 15-for-28 in the first half, it mustered just 11-for-29 in the second half. The Irish also hit just two of nine second-half triples and missed five of their 14 free throws in the final half.
Atkinson nearly had a monstrous double-double for the Irish; he finished with 19 points and nine boards despite fouling out with 66 second left – after which point the Irish never again scored
Now, it’s a quick turnaround for Notre Dame. The Irish visit Howard Monday afternoon (2:30 p.m., FOX) for a special Martin Luther King Jr. Day event with the hosts. The Irish then are at Louisville next Saturday before turning back home Jan. 26 against North Carolina State.
