Irish Can't Stop Bagley III, Fall 88-70
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish were unable to keep pace with the Duke Blue Devils on Thursday night in the ACC tournament quarterfinals, dropping an 88-70 decision.
Marvin Bagley put up a game-high 33 points and 17 rebounds for Duke, his fourth such game of at least 30 points and 15 rebounds this season.
"They're just such an explosive offensive unit, and tonight we had no answers," said Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey. "Overall I kind of liked our offensive rhythm, but we just couldn't get enough stops. We had some key turnovers in the second half when we had it to about 10, that was the difference, and Bagley was just the first pick in the draft. He made a couple, and I just said to myself, wow, he's really good.
"I'm very impressed with what our guys did here to get to this point. We have emptied the tank, and we'll see what our fate is down the road. Whatever it is, we'll be accepting and proud, and we're actually getting healthier, so I look forward to playing in the postseason because we're feeling a little better."
Overall, the Blue Devils shot 55 percent for the game and will take on the winner of North Carolina and Miami tomorrow night in the ACC tournament semifinals.
The Irish will await their postseason fate in the next few days after shooting 45 percent for the game. Bonzie Colson led the Irish in scoring with 18 points.
"They have taken their punches, and we're prepared to go wherever they send us," Brey said of the future. "You know, when you lose seven in a row and you're under .500, you're talking and dreaming about making a run to get to the bubble, which I'm very proud that we did, but you're also talking very realistically with our seniors that if it's the NIT, we'd be honored, and let's come back to the Garden. None of these guys have played in the Garden.
"I think we know exactly where we're at. I'm just glad we're going to keep playing with this group and that he gets to play some more college games."
The Irish trailed 78-62 with about five minutes to go and the game pretty much in hand. The Irish responded with some good offensive momentum but thanks to a big game from Bagley they were unable to get close.
Despite the large deficit, the Irish remained aggressive, playing hard up into the final buzzer.
The Irish shot just 5 of 23 from three-point range, limiting their opportunity at another comeback.
Bagley opened up the second half with three straight baskets, and the Blue Devils got the lead back up to eight at 49-41 with about 16 minutes to play. A steal and a dunk by Trevon Duval gave Duke a double-digit lead as the Irish struggled from the field.
" Since I've been here, he's one of the toughest players I've ever gone against," said Bonzie Colson. "He's really explosive as he has a really explosive first step, so a lot of respect to him and how he played. He deserved all the honors he got this year, and he's a heck of a player. I respect him a lot."
The Blue Devils extended the run to 8-0 before Martinas Geben stopped the bleeding with a quick layup. A three-pointer by Bagley gave him 21 points for the game and matched the largest Duke lead of 13 at 58-45. The lead remained out of reach as the deficit for the Irish was still 12 with 12 minutes to go.
The Irish struggled to find much offense over the next few minutes with the Blue Devils having a strong defensive half in addition to consistent shooting. The Blue Devils led 72-56 with seven and a half minutes remaining in the game.
The Blue Devils held a 15-2 advantage in fast break points as the Irish were unable to get much going in transition.
The Blue Devils opened hot especially Bagley who hit his first four shots, and they opened the game on a 12-5 run. The only early positive for the Irish was Wendell Carter picking up two quick fouls. The Irish shooting picked up as T.J. Gibbs drilled a three-pointer. The Blue Devils led 25-17 with under 13 minutes to go in the half as Grayson Allen drilled back to back three-pointers.
The Blue Devils scored without much resistance in the first part of the first half, building a double-digit lead. The lead was 32-21 midway through the first half.
The Irish cut the lead to single digits, 35-27 thanks to some good interior passing that led to buckets for Geben and Colson. Another basket for Colson cut the Blue Devils lead to four with under six minutes remaining in the half.
The Blue Devils led 39-31 with three and a half minutes to go before the half with the Irish in the midst of a three-minute scoreless drought. Geben snapped the drought with a putback layup to cut the lead to seven.
The Blue Devils led at the half, 41-37 after a John Mooney dunk with two seconds left. The Irish shot 45 percent from the field in the first half, compared to 44 percent for the Blue Devils. Allen was the half’s leading scorer with 17 points, while Colson paced the Irish with 10 points.
Player of the Game: Bagley. The outstanding freshman was virtually unstoppable in the paint and was the main reason the Irish never got close in the second half.
Unsung Hero: Allen. The senior was red hot from beyond the arc, hitting five of six three-pointers and was a source of instant offense in the first half.
