Wendell Moore Jr. shoots a contested fade away jump shot during the Duke basketball game vs Notre Dame
Sports

Duke Loses Third Straight, Falls to Notre Dame

Johnny Rodgers III

The Duke University Blue Devils lost a nailbiter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish by a score of 93-89. 

The Blue Devils shot out the lights to begin the game, going 4-of-4 from three. The first four three-point attempts came from four different shooters. Duke also generated four assists early which set the tone for them offensively. 

Notre Dame started slow, falling behind by 23-8 to begin the contest.

Sophomore Wendell Moore Junior lit up the scoreboard in the first half with 16 points, four rebounds, and two assists on 5-6 shooting.


 

Both programs shot 100% from the free-throw line during the first half.

Notre Dame managed to claw back thanks to the efforts of junior guard Cormac Ryan. Ryan had 21 points in the first half to bring the Irish back to within five after an early 15 point deficit.

Duke entered the halftime locker room with a 50-45 lead. 

Duke replicated their hot start in the second half, scoring on the first possession of the second half. This began a Duke run that saw the Blue Devils go up 58-51. 

Cormac Ryan rose to the challenge and scored six points that inspired his teammates to start knocking down shots. Notre Dame locked in and held Duke down defensively while managing to simultaneously catch fire from beyond the arc. Notre Dame managed to take the lead 63-62 for a brief moment midway through the second half behind a barrage of threes. 

The game that once appeared to be a blowout had morphed and become a shootout. Duke was trading baskets with Notre Dame at a breakneck pace. With 7:42  remaining, the Blue Devils trailed 73-72 before a timeout. 

Over the next three minutes, Duke and Notre Dame would continue to trade baskets until a lull hit for the Blue Devils with around four minutes left at a score of 83-82 Notre Dame. Duke didn’t score for over two minutes, and the Fighting Irish managed to secure an 87-83 lead. 

Jeremy Roach drove the lane with 1:06 left and committed a charge by pushing off his defender with his forearm. Duke trailed 87-85 with time dwindling fast.

Notre Dame delivered a dagger with a very deep three-point shot from Prentiss Hubb with 38.2 remaining.

Duke’s Matthew Hurt answered with an elbow jump shot of his own to close the gap back to 90-87. Duke was unable to secure a steal and fouled intentionally. Chance was not on their side, however. Notre Dame knocked down their free throws, and Duke couldn’t close the gap late. 

Wendell Moore Jr. finished the game with 24 points, nine rebounds, and three assists on 9-of-15 shooting. 

Jeremy Roach was the second-leading scorer with 16 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals

Frustration at the pile of losses Duke is amassing was apparent in the post-game. Sophomore forward Wendell Moore Jr. said he’s been “sick of talking about losing” since the first time he was asked about it earlier in the season. The Duke NCAA Tournament aspirations are dwindling more and more with each loss, but Duke isn’t out of the race yet. Coach Mike Krzyzewski expressed his concerns about his team’s mentality going forward since he fears they could “lose confidence” after so many close losses. He continued to say the lack of experience on his roster is affecting their progression “a lot” and they must continue to “work hard” to unlock their full potential. 

The Duke Blue Devils (7-8, 5-6 ACC) return to action on February 13th against N.C. State (8-7, 4-6 ACC) at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC.