Cards defeat Notre Dame 87-73

In a game that illustrated just how competitive and entertaining Big East basketball will be throughout the remainder of the season, the University of Louisville needed an extra five minutes of overtime to pull away from Notre Dame (12-4, 3-2) 87-73.

As good as their defense had been for the majority of the game, the Cards saved their best for last. Or so they thought. On the final possession in regulation with less than 25 seconds and the game tied at 71, the Cards came up with a miraculous defensive possession that forced Notre Dame guard Troy Jackson to throw an errant pass backcourt.

Senior Terrence Williams then raced down the floor and was able to recover the loose ball and finish with a monstrous fast break jam for what appeared to be the game winning score.  But the officials ruled that Luke Harangody had touched the ball before Williams recovered it and called a backcourt violation sending the game into OT.

The constant pressure applied throughout the game by the Cards seemed to have taken its toll on the Irish in overtime. U of L outscored the Irish 16-2 in the extra period to give the Cards (12-3, 3-0) their first 3-0 start in the Big East since joining the league in 2005.

“That was as good a college basketball game you’ll see,” U of L head coach Rick Pitino said. “We’re real proud to win and I know what Notre Dame feels like because they played their tails off.”

Williams had arguably his finest performance in his career as a Cardinal. Williams finished with a career high 16 rebounds and a season high 26 points to go along with his eight assists and three steals.

“This I think by far the best (game I’ve played)”, Williams said. “To take the lead in overtime and execute, that shows that this team is maturing.”

Harangody had another typical performance of a reigning Big East Player of the Year. Harangody finished with a game high 28 points and 13 points for the Irish to give the junior his ninth straight 20-plus point game on the season.

But not even the brilliant play of Hanrangody was enough to off-set the tremendous collective play of the Cards’ interior players. Williams, Earl Clark (17 points, 10 rebounds) and Samardo Samuels (18 points and 6 rebounds) scored a combined 57 points and grabbed 32 rebounds.

Coming into the game, Notre Dame had outrebounded its opponents by an average of 10.5 per game which led the Big East. But last night, the Cards managed to gain a 48-43 rebounding edge over the Irish.

“We’re evolving into a really terrific basketball team,” Pitino said. “I’m really excited about the way our guys played.

Early on, the Cards looked like they were ready to take control of the game after going on 9-0 run to take a 17-8 lead with 12:21 left in the first half. But Notre Dame rallied and fought their way back and eventually took a 30-29 lead with 4:32 left in the half on a made two point basket by Luke Zeller.

The unsung heroes of the game just might have come from the strong defensive play of guards Andre McGee and Preston Knowles. The stifling defensive pressure applied by both McGee and Knowles made finding an open look for sharp shooter Kyle McAlarney quite the task.

After missing on his first four attempts from the field, McAlarney was able to catch fire and knocked down 5-6 from three to finish with 19 points for the game, but was held scoreless throughout the final nine minutes of regulation and in overtime.

“They’re such a great offensive team,” Pitino said of Notre Dame. “It was going to take great defense to slow those guys, and Andre got great heat on their guards. I wouldn’t have wanted to try and bring the ball up against him.

McGee finished with 10 points off the bench and Knowles added three.

But freshman Terrence Jennings almost stole the show with his energy off the bench and a brilliant defensive performance. Jennings used his 6-foot-10 frame to consistently disrupt and alter many of Hanrangodys’ shot attempts when filling in for Samuels. 

In his 19 minutes of play, Jennings scored just two points, but grabbed six rebounds and recorded three blocks.  

“I try to go out there and use my athleticism to the best of my abilities,” Jennings said. “Especially tonight with Harangody, I know I could get off the floor quicker than he could so I just tried to use that to my advantage.”

The win gives the Cards their second straight victory over a ranked team and now puts them in position to hold claim to the top spot in the Big East when they welcome in the No. 1 team in the nation in Pittsburgh Saturday night.  But for now the Cards can enjoy this win over one of the premiere teams in the league.

“That game (against Pitt) we’ll play on Saturday,” Williams told reporters. “As for right now we’re just going to enjoy this and go out and eat and have fun.”