The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have looked inconsistent all year. Occasionally, they have shown flashes of being the defending ACC Champions and a team that was one of the last eight squads standing in the country last season. Looking for a big win to jumpstart their struggling squad out of the mud, Notre Dame got one, executing a big-time comeback over a big-time program in the University of North Carolina. The second-ranked Tar Heels were up by as many as fifteen points in the first half, and held a nine-point halftime advantage. However, the scrappy Fighting Irish used a balanced offensive attack, including double-doubles from Zach Auguste and Bonzie Colson, to outscore the Tar Heels by thirteen points in the second half, and edge out their conference rival 80-76.

North Carolina Dominates First Half, Builds Early Lead

The game was even for about five minutes before the Tar Heels began to look like one of the best teams in the country. Isaiah Hicks broke an 8-8 tie with a jump shot that was followed up by a trey from Marcus Paige. The quick scoring spurt boosted the Tar Heels, who began to dominate the flow of play. They flashed the balanced nature of their offense when they went on an 11-2 run in which five different players recorded points. The run put the Tar Heels up 26-14, and forced a Notre Dame timeout. However, North Carolina didn't slow down, and they built their lead to a 15-point advantage, taking a 37-22 lead on a three-pointer from Joel Berry II. Notre Dame closed the gap on an 8-2 run that made it a nine-point game at halftime, but the first period was still one dominated by the visiting Tar Heels. Paige led the scoring attack in the first half, and would finish with 21 points, while a strong first half for Brice Johnson propelled him to 14 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double. 

Notre Dame Rallies, Ties The Game Midway Through Second Half

Using their mini-run that ended the first half as a springboard, Notre Dame came out strong in the second half and chipped away at the UNC lead. At first, Colson kept the Irish close, scoring their first five points of the half to cut the deficit to 45-35 with seventeen minutes remaining. The rest of the Irish heated up soon after that, and Colson, with the help of the other Notre Dame starters, all of whom recorded at least ten points, rallied, cutting into the UNC lead. Steve Vasturia made a huge three-pointer that cut the lead down to five points for UNC, and Demetrius Jackson followed with a layup that trimmed the Tar Heel's lead to just 47-44. The Irish kept fighting, and, with just over twelve minutes remaining, tied the game at 48 points apiece. 

Notre Dame Completes Furious Rally, Staves Off Tar Heels In Final Minutes

After tying the game 48-48, the Irish failed to take the lead, as UNC kept regaining a small, one-possession advantage. They had a lead of 53-50 at one point, but V.J. Beachem drilled a shot from beyond the arc to knot the game back up again. With 9:22 remaining, Jackson laid the ball off the backboard and in for a 57-55 Notre Dame lead, their first since leading 8-6 in the first five minutes of the game. UNC rattled off five straight points to retake the lead, but Vasturia completed a three-point play with a layup and a free throw, before dishing out an assist on Beachem's trey that gave Notre Dame a 63-62 lead. After North Carolina sunk a deuce to snatch the lead back, Bonzie Colson came up with a clutch layup that put Notre Dame in the lead for good at 65-64 with 6:35 remaining.

Jackson proceeded to sink a jumper that extended Notre Dame's lead to three points, their biggest advantage to that point. With 2:16 left, the Auguste made a layup that pushed the lead to 75-70, but the Tar Heels weren't done yet. They broke off a 6-2 run, with all six points coming from Marcus Paige to narrow the lead to just a single point. Trailing 77-76, UNC fouled the Irish with 19 ticks remaining on the clock. Jackson sunk both free throws to restore Notre Dame's three point lead. However, UNC had a chance to tie it with what could have been regulation's final possession. Yet Paige, who had come up big so many times for the Tar Heels already, saw his three-point attempt clang out with 14 seconds remaining. Vasturia made a free throw four seconds later to give Notre Dame a four-point lead at 80-76 that stood up as the final seconds drained off the clock. 

Notre Dame Wins Critical Turnover Battle

As good as North Carolina was throughout the first half, they were plagued by turnovers, which made it very difficult to hold the lead down the stretch. The Irish forced thirteen turnovers and held a 19-0 advantage in points off takeaways. 

Up Next

Notre Dame will try to establish some consistency and rise up the standings in the ACC, as they are currently ranked just fifth. They will play Clemson on Monday, with a matchup against Louisville looming. 

Having lost two straight, the Tar Heels will have a chance to end their skid when they play the cellar-dwelling Eagles of Boston College on Tuesday.