Irish fall flat in regular season finale

By LIAM COOLICAN Associate sports e ditor

m athematically, s aturday night’s regular-season finale at c lemson meant nothing for n otre d ame men’s basketball. The Irish were already locked into the 14th seed of the Acc Tournament and a first-round matchup with 11th-seeded v irginia Tech. e motionally, however, it meant a whole lot more.

c oming off an electrifying upset victory over Pittsburgh in head coach m ike b rey’s final home game in s outh b end, it seemed the Irish were finally playing the type of basketball they were expected to play at the start of the season. s aturday’s game was a chance to prove that. A win would have allowed the Irish to head into the Acc Tournament with much-needed momentum.

Instead, it was a major letdown right from the opening

Personal

Happy birthday. It’s a shame the year of cringe is over. Hope 22 is the best yet.

It feels like a perfect night/ To tip. c lemson needed a victory to secure a coveted double bye in next week’s tournament. They certainly looked like a team with something to play for. n otre d ame, on the other hand — in a season full of abysmal defensive performances — turned in one of their worst of the year. n otre d ame never led once, as c lemson seemingly scored at will throughout the contest.

The Tigers started the game on a 20-3 run over the first seven minutes. n otre d ame converted on just one of their first ten attempts from the field. The Irish did eventually start shooting at a better clip, but by the time they found an offensive rhythm, it was far too late. They never got within 15 points of the Tigers again and trailed by 20 or more for nearly the entire second half. c lemson cruised to an eventual 87-64 victory.

All five Tiger starters scored in double figures — forwards Ian s chieffelin and h unter Tyson were particularly dominant against a n otre d ame front court that has struggled to defend talented bigs all year. s chieffelin scored 16 points in just 18 minutes on a perfect 7-7 night from the field, while Walker also finished with 16 and had a doubledouble in the first half alone.

For the Irish, c ormac r yan had a game-high 19 points, but he was inefficient from the field, especially from deep. The graduate student guard, typically one of n otre d ame’s most consistent three-point shooting threats, was just 2-10 from beyond the arc s aturday.

The Irish were without JJ s tarling for the third straight contest due to a bruised knee. With his availability for the A cc Tournament in Greensboro see mbb pAGE 11 dress up like hipsters / And make fun of our exes / Ah-ah, ah-ah / It feels like a perfect night / For breakfast at midnight / To fall in love with strangers / Ah-ah, ah-ah / Yeah, we’re happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time / It’s miserable and magical, oh yeah / Tonight’s the night when we forget about the deadlines / It’s time, oh-oh / I don’t know about you / But I’m feeling 22 / Everything will be alright if / You keep me next to you / You don’t know about me / But I’ll bet you want to / Everything will be alright if / We just keep dancing like we’re 22, 22 happy birthday: Trust and believe in your ability to make the right decisions this year. refuse to let anyone offer false information to manipulate how you proceed. Push back and enforce your position, and you will be clear on picking and choosing what works best for you. Protect your home, lifestyle and loved ones. choose peace and love over discord. your numbers are 4, 15, 21, 23, 32, 40, 43. gemInI (may 21-June 20): Put your energy and effort into home improvements, personal relationships and making a difference in your community. don’t let fast-talkers sway your opinion or get you to contribute to something with no purpose or meaning. A makeover will increase your confidence. cAncer (June 21-July 22): live and learn. Talk to someone who can offer insight into what you want to pursue. explore the possibilities and sign up for something that will help you reach your destination. Take precautions to avoid illness, injury or damage to your reputation. leo (July 23-Aug. 22): live in the moment and enjoy; be grateful for what you have. recognize your potential and the potential of others, and put your skills to work for you. doors will open if you take the initiative and do the work yourself. vIrgo (Aug. 23-sept. 22): don’t share information that is personal or get involved in gossip. Alter how and what you learn, and focus more on what’s trending and less on projects that have little to offer. An emotional issue will stifle your progress if you overreact. lIbrA (sept. 23-oct. 22): learn all you can about the people influencing your life. knowledge is power and can help you change the way others treat you. don’t sit back; share your concerns and be the one to make a difference. opportunity is apparent, and romance is favored. scorPIo (oct. 23-nov. 21): stop procrastinating and put what you need to do behind you. call in an expert to help you get started, and the rest will be a breeze. The stress you eliminate will give you the energy and freedom to follow your dreams. sAgITTArIus (nov. 22-dec. 21): host an event or take advantage of an opportunity to update or improve how your space functions. A passionate plea to loved ones will lead to valid suggestions and hands-on help. A sincere gesture will add spice to your love life. cAPrIcorn (dec. 22-Jan. 19): distance yourself from movers and shakers who want you to participate in over-the-top plans that can affect your health or take a bite out of your savings. keep your money and possessions safe and say no to bad influences. birthday baby: you are dynamic, changeable and entertaining. you are possessive and resourceful. that,” corrigan said. “There’s some part of you that [feels like] – win, lose or draw – it’s awesome just to be part of a big game and a good environment.”

ArIes (march 21-April 19): be open about how you plan to fulfill your dreams, and you’ll gain momentum and the backup you need to follow through. A unique opportunity will increase your profile and give you a platform to present ideas. romance will enhance your life.

TAurus (April 20-may 20): An incident will offer a different perspective regarding a personal matter. Talk with someone who can provide answers and implement what you want to happen, including the suggestions others make. An unexpected change will be a blessing in disguise.

AQuArIus (Jan. 20-feb. 18): home improvements can begin. Whether you want to make a move or make your surroundings better fit your lifestyle, you’ll get results if you stick to your plans and refuse to let anyone talk you into something you don’t want.

PIsces (feb. 19-march 20): listen, observe and leave nothing to chance. be resourceful, and solutions with a track record will come to mind. don’t waffle when it comes time to decide. follow your intuition and make the changes necessary to reach your goal.

That being said, he was pleased to see the irish come out on top against a maryland team that had defeated them in the programs’ previous three matchups.

“The difference is so thin between winning or losing that game, and yet, the way that you feel [after] is so different,” corrigan said. “Let’s not kid ourselves: losing stinks, winning feels really good. so as much as it was fun to be part of it, it was most fun because we won.” getting that win required a tenacious effort from notre dame, as the Terrapins came out of the gates determined to be the aggressor. maryland jumped out to a 1-0 advantage, marking the first time this season that the irish have failed to score the opening goal. notre dame responded with three straight scores in a span of fewer than two minutes. however, maryland erased that irish lead, rattling off a 3-0 run of their own. maryland outshot the irish 19-5 in the first quarter. While senior goalie Liam entenmann performed admirably, posting five saves in the period, the massive shot deficit was too large to overcome. maryland led 4-3 after the opening period.

The rest of the game would feature similar intensity and back-and-forth play, with neither side leading by more than two at any point. five more saves from entenmann helped the irish shut out maryland in the second quarter. a pair of goals from junior attacker bryce Walker and graduate student midfielder brian Tevlin gave notre dame a slim 5-4 halftime advantage.

The second half continued the trend of mini-runs. The Terrapins regained the lead with two goals to start the third quarter, but the irish came right back with three straight scores. Two of those goals came from graduate student midfielder Jack simmons. a transfer from virginia, simmons gave notre dame an 8-6 lead late in the third. but maryland would seize back control, scoring six of the next eight goals while showcasing the talent that guided them to an undefeated national title run last year. When the Terrapins’ daniel maltz scored twice to give maryland a 12-10 advantage with under four minutes to play, they appeared to be in a position to hand the irish their first loss. corrigan remained confident in his veteran team, though, knowing they just needed to execute in order to quickly close the gap.

“We work on those situations and they understand what’s needed,” corrigan said about notre dame’s late-game play. “really, it’s just a matter of guys making plays.”

The irish did just that. senior midfielder reilly gray scored to trim the deficit to one, and sophomore attacker chris Kavanagh’s third goal of the afternoon tied the score at 12-12 with less than two minutes remaining. maryland had another opportunity to score, but the irish defense stepped up, sending the game into sudden death overtime. The irish offense failed to score in each of the first two overtime periods, requiring the defense to continually stifle a highpowered Terrapin attack. They came through in big moments, and maryland did not score in the final 13 minutes and 44 seconds of game time.

“our whole defensive unit really came up big in the last 15 minutes of the game. Through the end of regulation and then into overtime, they didn’t give up many great shots, and Liam [entenmann] was able to handle anything they threw at him,” corrigan said. “it was impressive.”

When it started to feel like the game might never end, the irish looked to their other Kavanagh brother to finish things off. midway through the third overtime, Pat Kavanagh streaked across the field and scored the game-winner from a distance, sending the irish into celebration after sealing one of the program’s biggest wins in recent memory.

Teams look for players that are at their best in clutch situations. after the Kavanaghs combined to score the tying and winning goals, it’s