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University of Louisville
24-7, 12-6
NOTRE DAME
23-8, 12-6
Louisville Defeats Notre Dame 71-64 in Home Finale, Earns No. 4 Seed
March 04, 2017 | Men's Basketball
Mitchell leads team with 20 points while Mathiang finishes with 18 points and 11 rebounds
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Donovan Mitchell scored 20 points, including four free throws in the final 22 seconds, and Deng Adel made a big 3-pointer to help No. 8 Louisville hold off No. 19 Notre Dame 71-64 on Saturday in the regular season finale for both teams.
Louisville earned the No. 4 seed and a double-bye in the 2017 New York Life ACC Tournament and will face the winner of the Clemson/NC State vs. Duke matchup in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 9 at 2 p.m. (20 minutes after conclusion of the noon quarterfinal game).
Quentin Snider added 17 points against Notre Dame, including four second-half 3-pointers that gave the Cardinals the edge in a back-and-forth game with the Fighting Irish, who trailed 64-62 with 50 seconds remaining. Adel followed with the pivotal 3 13 seconds later before Mitchell sealed Louisville's hard-earned victory at the foul line.
Mangok Mathiang came off the bench to score a career-best 18 points with 11 rebounds in his home finale as Louisville (24-7, 12-6 ACC) avoided its first losing streak this season.
Bonzie Colson had 20 points and V.J. Beachem added 17 with eight rebounds for Notre Dame (23-8, 12-6), which had won six straight and looked to clinch second place in the ACC.
BIG PICTURE
Notre Dame: The Irish had outshot the Cardinals much of the game but were crushed on the boards 44-27. That allowed Louisville to gain slight edges in the paint and second-chance points (14-10) and ultimately the advantage in a tight game. The Irish shot 41 percent.
Louisville: Mathiang didn't start but provided the initial spark off the bench with 12 first-half points and five rebounds. Other Cardinals took charge of other stretches with Mitchell making 3s before Snider got hot at the right moment. The Cards shot 41 percent, but didn't get there until late in the game.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Louisville's bounce-back win might preserve their Top 10 standing. Notre Dame's loss might drop the Irish a few spots, with the question being how many.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame: March 9 in the ACC Tournament in Brooklyn, New York vs. the Georgia Tech/Pittsburgh vs. Virginia winner.
Louisville: March 9 in the ACC Tournament in Brooklyn, New York vs. the Clemson/NC State vs. Duke winner.
