A 20-4 second-half run was the difference for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish , as they upset the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils in a 79-77 stunner on Saturday. Duke had a chance down by two points with 10 seconds left, but Rodney Hood turned it over on a drive to the basket:
Duke vs. Notre Dame final score: Irish upset No. 7 Blue Devils, 79-77
The Irish rallied in the second half to secure their first-ever ACC win, a shocker against Duke.
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Eric Atkins led the way for Notre Dame, scoring 19 points and dishing out 11 assists. The Irish are now 2-0 without star guard Jerian Grant, who is out for the rest of the season due to academic issues.
Despite the late turnover, Hood was the star for Duke, with 27 points on 8-17 shooting. Jabari Parker, playing in his first true road game, had only seven points on 2-10 shooting. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski benched his star freshman late in the second half after some defensive miscues.
The game was Notre Dame’s first as a member of the ACC, having come over from the Big East in the off-season. With Grant out, holding serve at home will be crucial for the Irish’s chances to make the NCAA Tourney.
For Duke, it was a reminder of the perils of playing true freshmen on the road. They return to Cameron Indoor Stadium to play the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Tuesday.
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