In the second to the last home game of the season, the Notre Dame men’s basketball team faced the Wake Forest Demon Deacons tonight. As the Fighting Irish prepared to defend their home turf, they carried with them the weight of past encounters. Holding a slight edge in their head-to-head record at 8-7, with a commendable 5-1 home record, Notre Dame aimed to tip the scales in their favor once again. However, recent history favored the Demon Deacons, having clinched victory in their last two meetings, including a resounding triumph the prior season in Winston-Salem (81-64). For Notre Dame faithful, memories of their dominant performance in the Purcell Pavilion lingered from February 2, 2021, when they secured a convincing 79-58 win over Wake Forest. How would the night unfold? Let’s delve into the action-packed showdown and discover the outcome of this highly anticipated matchup.
First Half
To start the game Notre Dame got the ball first. Tae Davis tried to sneak in a layup from under the net but got blocked. On Wake Forest’s first possession Cameron Hildreth sank a three point shot to get points on the board first. ND turned the ball over and Kevin Miller got his driving layup to go in. Notre Dame’s first points came on a fast break layup by Markus Burton. But Wake Forest quickly answered with a three point bucket by Hunter Sallis. Markus Burton got a beautiful three point shot to go in, and Cameron Hildreth responded with a jumper. Notre Dame’s Davis then made a statement dunk. 10-7, Wake Forest.
The officials missed a goal tending call on a layup attempt by Davis. Wake Forest got the rebound and turned the possession into a Kevin Miller jumper, foul and foul shot. Notre Dame turned the ball over and Efton Reid got his first points with a statement dunk. Wake Forest was red hot. Braeden Shrewsberry got his first points of the game on a jumper and Notre Dame is within six points. 15-9, Wake Forest. (14:43 timeout.)
After the break, Burton tried for a step back three but missed. Wake Forest turned the ball over and Carey Booth got his first points of the game on a three point bucket. Kevin Miller made a jumper on Wake Forest’s next possession, and ND answered with another Carey Booth three point shot. Efton Reid got a layup to drop, and the foul, but missed his foul shot. At the other end of the court Burton made a jumper, drew the foul, and sank his free throw shot. Wake Forest turned the ball over again and Burton passed to Davis who made the dunk. Notre Dame has their first lead, 20-19.
Wake Forest turned the ball over again, and Burton got his jumper to drop. Wake Forest answered with a three point shot by Damari Monsanto, quickly followed by a layup by Tae Davis. 24-22, Notre Dame. (10:06 timeout.)
Hildreth hit a three point shot following the break, and Notre Dame’s Davis missed his layup but drew the foul. At the line, Davis made one of his two foul shots and Wake Forest got the rebound. Miller made a driving layup for Wake Forest, and Shrewsberry responded with a three point jumper. Andrew Carr followed with a layup, and Shrewsberry missed his jumper and Notre Dame turned the ball over. Cameron Hildreth got his second chance jumper to go in and drew the foul. At the line, Hildreth made his foul shot. Matt Zona missed his three point shot, and then Burton missed his three point shot. At the other end, Carr got his three point shot to go in. 35-28, Wake Forest. (WF on an 8-0 run).
Burton, from the same spot, got his three point shot to go in. Miller put up a three point shot and missed. Burton missed his driving layup but drew the foul. At the line he made both of his free throw shots. Wake Forest quickly answered with a jumper by Carr. 37-33, Wake Forest.
Efton Reid drew a foul and went to the line where he made both of his foul shots. Markus Burton answered with a fantastic jumper in the paint. (17 points so far for Burton.) Hildreth stole the ball from ND and got a fast break layup to go in. Miller got his pullup jumper to go in, and Wake Forest’s lead is now at eight points. their largest lead of the night. Shrewsberry missed his jumper, but drew the foul and went to the line where he made one of his two shots. Burton drew a foul with 6.4 left in the half and made both of his shots to pull within five points. 43-38, Wake Forest, at the half.
Notre Dame:
Field Goals: 13-28, 46%
Three Point Shots: 5-14, 36%
Foul Shots: 7-9, 78%
Wake Forest:
Field Goals: 17-29, 59%
Three Point Shots: 5-13, 38%
Foul Shots: 4-5, 80%
Second Half
Wake Forest got the ball first but missed their first shot. Booth missed his three point shot and the rebound went to Wake Forest. Sallis got fouled and went to the line where he made both of his shots. Booth missed his shot but drew the foul and went to the line where he made one of his two shots. Miller knocked down his three point shot, and Booth answered with a jumper and the foul. At the line Booth made his foul shot. 48-42, Wake Forest.
Burton stole the ball from Sallis, and missed his layup but drew the foul. At the line, Burton made both of his shots, cutting Wake Forest’s lead to four. Burton then went coast to coast, sank his layup, and the lead shrank to two points. 48-46, Wake Forest.
Hildreth got a driving layup to drop to put Wake Forest back up by four. Booth got fouled and went to the line and made both of his foul shots. Wake Forest missed their three point shot, and at the other end Booth sank his three point shot to put ND up by one point, 51-50. (ND on a 12-2 run in the last five minutes.) Carr missed his layup and ND got the rebound. Booth put up a three at missed. Wake Forest got the rebound and Sallis got his jumper to go in. Kebba Njie sank a beautiful hook shot, and ND is back in the lead, 53-32. (9:29 timeout.)
Burton got fouled, went to the line and made both of his foul shots. Carr responded with a hook shot, and it’s a one point game. Shrewsberry missed his three (one for eight from deep). ND got the rebound and Booth missed his three point shot. 55-54, Notre Dame.
Reid got the rebound and got his layup to go in. Wake Forest called a 30 second timeout. 56-55, Wake Forest.
After the timeout, Burton got his layup to drop. Wake Forest turned the ball over on a block by Burton and Davis sank his driving layup. ND now up by three. Reid got his layup to drop, and Wake Forest is within one point of ND. Burton stuck his pullup jumper, and ND goes back up by three. Reid got fouled and headed to the line where he made both of his foul shots. Notre Dame up by one point with 2:38 left in the game, 61-60.
Davis battled and missed his layup, Wake Forest turned the ball over and Notre Dame seized the opportunity with a three point Shrewsberry jumper. Wake Forest instantly answered with a Kevin Miller layup. 64-62, Notre Dame.
Davis’s layup got blocked. Wake Forest then turned the ball over and ND got the ball with 49 seconds remaining. Davis got his turnaround jumper to sink, and now ND is up by four. Miller drew the foul but missed his foul shot. 17.1 seconds remaining.
Wake Forest turned the ball over and Coach Shrewsberry took a timeout. 12.2 seconds remaining in the half and ND is up by four points.
Davis inbounded to Burton who immediately got fouled and headed to the line where he made both of his shots. Wake Forest wasn’t giving up, though, and Carr made his three point shot. 68-65, Notre Dame up with 3.9 seconds remaining.
Notre Dame inbounded the ball and Shrewsberry got fouled. With two seconds remaining Shrewsberry went to the line and made both of his foul shots, 70-65 Notre Dame, which would be the final score.
Next up for the Fighting Irish, they face Clemson in their last home game on Saturday, March 2nd, at 7:45pm ET.
Cheers & GO IRISH!
