The Jackets entered the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish having last won in South Bend, Ind. in 1990. The losing streak continued, the Jackets controlled the Fighting Irish for the majority of the game. Tech led for 36 minutes and 53 seconds of a 40 minute game. Despite this, The Jackets only ever mustered a maximum lead of seven, never fully pulling away from Notre Dame. As a result, the Fighting Irish came back and Tech fell 71-68 in South Bend, Ind.
Tech came into the game against the Fighting Irish hot. The Jackets beat the Virginia Tech Hokies 71-64, notching their third conference win of the season. One of those wins came against Notre Dame, where Tech won 86-75 on New Year’s Eve. The Fighting Irish also came off a win against an ACC team located in Virginia, the Virginia Cavaliers. Notre Dame won three conference games before the matchup with the Jackets. In most respects, the game was set to be an evenly matched affair between two middling ACC teams.
The Jackets started the game off well. After Tech won the jump ball, sophomore guard Naithan George dribbled the ball up the court into a pull-up jumper, giving the Jackets the lead. George was responsible for the Jackets’ first seven points, scoring four and assisting senior guard Lance Terry for his three-pointer. The rest of the first half was a back-and-forth affair with Notre Dame and Tech answering each other’s shots. The Jackets extended their lead to seven after a three-pointer from redshirt junior forward Duncan Powell, making the score 32-25. The Fighting Irish went on a scoring run at the end of the half to cut the Tech lead. Notre Dame’s Graduate guard Matt Allocco got a three-pointer off at the buzzer to tie the game at halftime, 37-37.
The Jackets had a strong first half, not once being at a deficit. George led the way for the Jackets, notching nine points, four rebounds and an assist. Powell was a spark off the bench, scoring eight points and shooting 2-4 from behind the arc. Neither team stood out on the defensive end, both Notre Dame and Tech shot at least 50% from the field and 40% from the three-point line. The Jackets look to reset at the half and slow the momentum of the Fighting Irish.
Tech came out at the half rejuvenated, scoring six points in quick succession. Sophomore forward Baye Ndongo bullied his way to the rim four points. George scored the last two off of a steal and a floater. After the Jackets scoring run, neither team scored for two minutes and 43 seconds. The Fighting Irish broke the stalemate with a jumper. The score bounced around with Notre Dame tying the game at 45-45 with 12:31 left in the half. The Jackets regained the lead, but once again failed to pull away. Once Tech got a lead of seven, the Fighting Irish went on a 12-0 run to give themselves the lead. The Jackets failed to fight back and fell 71-68.
After the Jackets’ anemic end to the game, Tech dropped to 9-12 and 3-7 in the ACC. Despite the result, George played one of his best games of the season, acquiring 20 points, six rebounds and five assists. Powell exploded off the bench for 18 points on 6-11 from the field.
After the loss, the Jackets hope to rebound against the No. 21-ranked Louisville Cardinals in the McCamish Pavilion on Feb. 1 and a strong Clemson Tigers team on Feb. 4.