Northeastern Falls Short in Heartbreaking NCAA Tournament Loss to Notre Dame
Northeastern came close, really close, to adding to the madness of March.
Facing No. 3 Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament, the No. 14 Huskies had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead in the climactic moments of their round of 64 matchup. Unable to get off a shot in what seemed a shining moment in the making, they were defeated, 69-65, on Thursday afternoon.
Trailing by 12 points with 6:04 remaining in the second half, the Huskies used a 10-2 run to close within 65-61 with 2:01 left on the clock. Northeastern’s Scott Eatherton later cut the deficit to 65-63 with a tip-in shot with 37 seconds to play. The Colonial Athletic Association champs would have a chance to tie or take the lead in the final half-minute of play, but couldn’t take advantage. Notre Dame would add a pair of free throws before the final buzzer sounded at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh.
Making their first tournament appearance since 1991, the Huskies held their own with Notre Dame over the opening half, never trailing by more than five points and even trading leads with the ACC tournament champion Irish. The first half came to a close with the Huskies trailing by four points, and while Notre Dame built their lead to double digits in the early minutes of the second half, Northeastern never gave up, fighting back until the final buzzer sounded.
Eatherton led the Huskies with 18 points and 8 rebounds, while David Walker scored 15 with 7 assists. Zach Auguste paced the Fighting Irish with 25 points and Jerian Grant added 17; they were the only two Notre Dame players to score in double figures.
The Huskies earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament after winning the CAA tournament title, beating William & Mary, looking to make it to the dance their first time, in the championship game. Northeastern hasn’t recorded a win in the NCAA Tournament since 1982, when a 39-year-old Jim Calhoun was coaching the Huskies.
Notre Dame moves on to face No. 6 Butler in the Midwest Region, while Northeastern sees its best season in a decade come to a close.
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