It took a great deal of good fortune, but the 20th-ranked Tar Heels escaped the land of the Fighting Irish on Saturday with a 69-68 victory over Notre Dame–after guard TJ Gibbs missed a pair of shots around the rim in the final seconds.

Needing to cover the length of the court with just over seven seconds to play, Gibbs—who led Notre Dame with 19 points in the game–took the ball into the lane and let out a floater which came up short.

He then rebounded the miss and tried again—watching as the ball seemed destined to fall through the net. It spun around the rim for a second, before somehow popping out.

While Gibbs and the Fighting Irish (13-5, 3-2 ACC) were stunned, the Tar Heels (14-4, 3-2 ACC) let out a collective sigh of relief after picking up their first ACC road victory of the season.

UNC head coach Roy Williams said he felt the luckiest he’d ever felt in his life following the Tar Heels’ 69-68 win over Notre Dame. (Todd Melet)

A late foul called on Gibbs, who was trying to keep Joel Berry from scoring on an offensive rebound, turned what appeared to be a sure loss into a chance at victory.

Berry calmly sank the two foul shots to put the Tar Heels ahead, and a little bit of luck on the other end prevented a loss against a short-handed Notre Dame squad missing its best forward and guard—Bonzie Colson and Matt Ferrell—due to injury.

UNC head coach Roy Williams found himself nearly speechless at his postgame press conference when trying to rehash what had just happened.

“I’m so befuddled right now,” Williams told reporters. “I was so discouraged. I’m dumbfounded we won the game.

“This is my 45th year of coaching, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like what happened at the end,” the coach added. “I’m at a loss for words. And that’s something my wife will tell you has never happened in 67 years.”

Berry’s free throws capped a 9-2 run for the Tar Heels, who held the Fighting Irish without a made shot from the field over the final five minutes and 58 seconds.

Gibbs hit two free throws to give Notre Dame a 68-67 lead with just 37 seconds remaining, but that represented the entirety of the home team’s offense down the stretch.

Theo Pinson helped spark the Tar Heels midway through the second half, while posting a solid all-around stat line of 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists against Notre Dame. (Todd Melet)

It was a back and forth game that saw neither team lead by more than six points at any time.

Junior forward Luke Maye led UNC with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Berry finished with 15 points of his own.

Midway through the second half, it was do-everything senior Theo Pinson who sparked the Tar Heels—as he scored seven of his 13 points during a critical two-minute stretch. Pinson added seven rebounds and four assists as he joined Maye and Berry as the only UNC players to score in double figures.

Notre Dame shot just 35 percent as a team in the game, but converted 10 three-point attempts and grabbed a whopping 20 offensive rebounds to keep the game competitive throughout.

“I told [Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey] that I was so proud of his team, without Bonzie [Colson] and Matt [Ferrell] to play like that,” Williams said. “We were really lucky. That’s all I have to say guys.”

Up Next:

UNC will return home on Tuesday to face No. 19 Clemson, which has lost 58 consecutive games in Chapel Hill and has never won in the Smith Center. Tip-off for that game is set for 7 p.m.

Game Notes:

  • Notre Dame’s 20 offensive rebounds were the most that UNC has allowed an opponent to grab this season.
  • Luke Maye had just five points and two rebounds in the second half, after carrying the Tar Heels for much of the early action.
  • UNC guard Kenny Williams was limited to just five points, as he battled foul trouble. He picked up his fifth, and final, foul with just 37 seconds to play–allowing Gibbs to make the two free throws that gave Notre Dame the lead late in the proceedings.

 

 

FINAL BOX SCORE

 

 

Cover photo via Todd Melet

Related Stories
‹
Leaky Black's Floater in Final Seconds Lifts UNC to Victory Over Notre Dame
Junior guard Leaky Black hit a floater from the right side with just nine seconds remaining on Saturday at the Smith Center to lift the UNC men’s basketball team to a 66-65 victory over Notre Dame. Black’s shot snapped a two-game losing streak for the Tar Heels (6-4, 1-2 ACC) and gave a positive ending […]
A Star is Born: Cole Anthony's Incredible College Debut Carries No. 9 UNC to Season-Opening Win vs. Notre Dame
If there were any doubts about what kind of player freshman point guard Cole Anthony would be this year for UNC, they were all put to bed after Wednesday night’s season opener at the Dean Dome—as Anthony carried the ninth-ranked Tar Heels to a 76-65 victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. With the move […]
Bench Steps Up as No. 13 UNC Finally Wins "Ugly" in Victory Over Notre Dame
Needing an extra spark to try and rebound from Saturday’s blowout loss to Louisville, the 13th-ranked UNC men’s basketball team received some key contributions from its supporting cast in a 75-69 victory Tuesday night at the Dean Dome over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In a back-and-forth game where neither team led by double digits […]
Pinson Helps No. 14 UNC Pull Away From Notre Dame Down the Stretch, Pick Up Third ACC Win in Five Days
It wasn’t as easy as the final score suggested Monday night at the Dean Smith Center, but the 14th-ranked Tar Heels managed to grind out a 83-66 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish—using a determined second-half performance from senior wing Theo Pinson to seal the deal. Pinson scored 14 of his 16 points in […]
Tar Heels Hammer Notre Dame 78-47, Advance to ACC Title Game vs. Virginia
After nailing his third three-pointer of the first half in Friday night’s ACC Tournament Semifinal against Notre Dame, UNC senior guard Marcus Paige said to himself, “I’m back.” His 16 points and seven assists then helped the No. 7 Tar Heels crush the Fighting Irish 78-47; a win so dominant it showed Paige isn’t the […]
No. 2 UNC Blows 15-Point Lead, Loses to Notre Dame
While shooting woes doomed the No. 2 UNC men’s basketball game in its loss to Louisville on Monday, another of last season’s critical issues—the inability to close out games—resurfaced in Saturday night’s 80-76 loss at Notre Dame. Despite building a 15-point lead in the first half, the Tar Heels slowly fell apart down the stretch […]
UNC's Big Men Step Up in ACC Tournament Win Over Notre Dame
Even with senior forward Garrison Brooks a late scratch for Wednesday night’s ACC Tournament action in Greensboro due to an ankle injury, the No. 6 seed UNC men’s basketball team dominated in the paint on the way to a 101-59 victory over No. 11 seed Notre Dame—earning a place in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Against […]
UNC Falls at Notre Dame Thanks to Another Three-Pointer in the Final Seconds, Losing Streak Hits Six Games
Another game, another excruciating loss for the UNC men’s basketball team, as the Tar Heels blew a 15-point second half lead before allowing Notre Dame to win 77-76 in South Bend after a three-pointer by Nate Laszewski with just two seconds remaining. The shot by Laszewski came from the left wing after Notre Dame (16-10, […]
UNC to Open 2019-20 Men's Basketball Season by Hosting Notre Dame on ACC Network
The ACC announced Friday that it will show four conference games at the beginning of next men’s basketball season on the brand new ACC Network, including UNC’s season opener on Wednesday, Nov. 6 against Notre Dame. That game against the Fighting Irish will be held at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill. Rather […]
No. 12 UNC Holds Off Notre Dame, Picks Up Win in Greensboro Coliseum
The emergency water shortage in Chapel Hill forced a pair of familiar foes—UNC and Notre Dame—into playing Sunday’s game at the Greensboro Coliseum. Home to the ACC Tournament for many years, the famed building added a tournament-like atmosphere to this midseason top 25 showdown, as 12th-ranked UNC held off the No. 20 Fighting Irish down the […]
›