Greatest Notre Dame Men's Basketball Comeback Victories
During former Notre Dame head coach Digger Phelps Coaches Show in the late 1970s, the opening theme to the program was the 1978 Bee Gees No. 1 song, “Staying Alive.”
That’s what current 20th-year head coach Mike Brey and his Fighting Irish did last night with a dramatic 77-76 victory versus North Carolina.
Basically on life support with regard to NCAA Tournament hopes while sporting a 6-8 record in the ACC, Notre Dame found itself trailing 64-49 with 8:37 left. At that time the ESPN probability of a North Carolina win was 97 percent.
But several defensive stops/steals down the stretch, clutch shooting and sophomore Nate Laszewski’s three-point basket on a hustle offensive rebound by Rex Pflueger and a perfect kick-out pass to Laszewski, who converted the trey with 2.4 seconds left, kept the Irish pulse alive.
Where does it rank among Notre Dame’s greatest comeback victories ever in men’s basketball?
I can only account for the years since 1970-71, Austin Carr’s senior season, when I first began following the program. Over the past 50 seasons, my Baker's Dozen n this category is based on four criteria:
• How hopeless did victory appear?
• What caliber was the opponent (with extra credit on the road)?
• How much was the deficit (with extra credit when there was no shot clock and three-point line, the latter implemented in 1986)?
• How much did the win mean to the program?
Here is our Baker’s Dozen countdown since 1970-71:
13. Jan. 25, 1982: Notre Dame 50, Idaho 48 (OT)
The No. 11-ranked Vandals shot 81.8 percent from the floor in the first half to build an 18-point lead, but the Irish closed regulation time with a 14-4 run to send the game into overtime.
Freshman Ron Rowan tallied 17 points. The reason it is not higher is because it came during a 10-17 season.
12. Feb. 17, 2020: Notre Dame 77, North Carolina 76
For now, we’ll keep it here because at 10-16 and 3-12 in the ACC (last place), this is not a vintage Tar Heels team, despite the presence of megastar freshman guard Cole Anthony. North Carolina has demonstrated that with a healthy Anthony, it can compete with anyone.
Sophomore point guard Prentiss Hubb led the Fighting Irish attack with team highs in points (20) and assists (8).If Notre Dame does advance into the NCAA Tournament, this outcome will be elevated into our Top 10.
11. Jan. 25, 2015: Notre Dame 81, North Carolina State 78 (OT)
Same date as Idaho 33 years late, same 18-point deficit (40-22 in first half), and this one also went into overtime.
Led by Jerian Grant’s 25 points, and a V.J. Beachem put-back shot with 1.8 seconds left in regulation, the Irish won this on the road in a year they would advance to the Elite Eight (after also winning the ACC Championship) for the first time in 36 years.
10. Nov. 22, 2017: Notre Dame 67, Wichita State 66
In this championship game of the Maui Invitational, Notre Dame fell behind by 16 (37-21) and trailed 37-23 at halftime versus the No. 6-ranked Shockers.
Still behind 52-40 with 11:48 left and 62-53 at the 7:13 mark, the Fighting Irish gradually chipped away and then won on two Martinas Geben free throws with one second remaining.
That conquest marked the most recent Notre Dame win over a ranked team. It has lost a school record 20 since then.
9. Feb. 18, 2012: Notre Dame 74, Villanova 70 (OT)
The Wildcats dropped to 11-15 (4-10 in the Big East), but this was on the road and — to our knowledge — the first Irish comeback win after being down by at least 20 points. Notre Dame trailed 39-19 before cutting it to 39-23 at halftime.
The Irish then converted 9 of 12 threes in the second half, with freshman Pat Connaughton knocking down seven treys, to win their eighth straight contest. Grant’s three put the Irish ahead for good at 68-65.
8. March 7, 2018: Notre Dame 71, Virginia Tech 65
With an NCAA Tournament bid on the line, Brey’s crew rallied from 21 points down in the second half (47-26) with 15:07 left.
To our knowledge, no Fighting Irish men’s basketball team has ever been down by more points yet emerged with the victory.
Three consecutive treys by three different players — Bonzie Colson, Matt Farrell and T.J. Gibbs — a senseless Virginia Tech technical foul while trailing 54-46, a fortuitous banked in three by Colson just as the shot clock expired to give the Irish the lead for good (60-59) with 2:03 left, and 11-of-12 free-throw shooting to close it out in the final two minutes were part of the astounding resurrection from the NCAA Tournament dead.
On that Selection Sunday, the Irish actually made the field — but then were the last team out when Davidson upset Rhode Island in the Atlantic 10 Championship.
7. Feb. 6, 2016: Notre Dame 80, North Carolina 76
Although this didn’t occur on the road nor go into overtime, it came against the No. 2 team that would lose at the horn to Villanova in the NCAA Championship contest.
The Irish trailed by 15 late in the first half before posting their third straight win over the Tar Heels.
6. Feb. 1, 1987: Notre Dame 60, North Carolina 58
For the seventh time under Phelps, the Irish vanquished a No. 1-ranked team, this time after trailing 32-16.
This win helped Notre Dame gain momentum en route to the Sweet 16, led by guard David Rivers and forward Donald Royal.
5. Feb. 26, 1978: Notre Dame 65, Marquette 59
The defending national champs Warriors led by All-American guard Butch Lee were ranked No. 1 and roared to a 34-17 lead that was cut to 39-25 by halftime.
The offense of freshman Kelly Tripucka (15 second-half points) and the defense of sophomore Bill Hanzlik on Lee propelled the Irish after a brief slump and helped spark their Final Four run the following month.
4. March 10, 2016: Notre Dame 84, Duke 79 (OT)
Trailing 64-48 in the ACC quarterfinals, the Fighting Irish held the Blue Devils to 2-of-18 shooting from the field over the final 16:08 (including the five-minute overtime).
The Irish weren’t “supposed to” beat five-time national champ Mike Krzyzewski for the fifth time in six games. Just accept it while trailing 64-48 with 11:08 left.
Brey and the Comeback Caravan struck again, led by Zach Auguste’s 19 points and 22 rebounds, plus Beachem’s clutch three-point shooting.
Later this same month, Notre Dame would advance to the Elite 8 a second straight year.
3. Jan. 13, 1973: Notre Dame 71, Marquette 69 (plus Pitt)
One year after finishing 6-20, second-year head coach Phelps’ 3-6 Irish trailed by 10 in the second half at powerful Marquette, which had an 81-game winning streak at home (still tied for fifth-longest in NCAA history) and finished No. 4 nationally.
Notre Dame continued to hang around, with Gary Brokaw’s 28 points and John Shumate’s 21 leading the way, before Dwight Clay’s corner jumper with four seconds left provided the winning margin.
Four days later, the Irish overcame a 13-point halftime deficit versus 4-7 Pitt, and trailing by seven in the final minute to post an 85-76 overtime victory versus the Panthers. Clay did the honors again by drilling a long jumper with four seconds remaining to put the game into overtime.
This often-overlooked victory ignited the Golden Years from 1973-81 — and an almost identical version of what would occur just over one year later (see No. 1).
2. Feb. 9, 2013: Notre Dame 104, Louisville 101 (5 OT)
Brey’s crew didn’t have to overcome a double-digit lead here — but victory seemed inconceivable after falling behind 56-48 with 51 seconds left. Grant then had an out-of-body basketball experience by converting three straight Stephen Curry-like-are-you-freaking-kidding-me three-pointers, and added a basket-and-one to knot the game 60-60 at the end of regulation.
Twelve points scored in less than a half-minute by Grant? Try that sometime versus a top defense (or any defense).
After 26 lead changes and 16 ties, the Irish survived the marathon while handing the Cardinals — who would go on to win the national title (now vacated) — their final defeat of the year.
1. January 19, 1974: Notre Dame 71, UCLA 70
Yes, the No. 1 Bruins led by 17 at one point in the first half (33-16), but this was more about the invincible John Wooden-led juggernaut that had won seven straight national titles and 88 consecutive games still holding a 70-59 advantage with 3:22 left.
Then, the borderline miracle happened: Notre Dame converted its final six shots — the last by Clay with 29 seconds left — UCLA committed four turnovers (including a hooking foul) and missed its last five field goal attempts, three of them in the final six seconds.
Sports Illustrated ranked it several years ago as the 37th greatest/most famous moment in the annals of sport (mainly in America).
----
• Talk about it inside Rockne’s Roundtable
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.
• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @BGI_MikeSinger, @CoachDeDario and @AndrewMentock.
• Like us on Facebook.