Once the game pushed to double overtime and the clock struck midnight on Thursday, March 17 — St. Patrick's Day — Rutgers never stood a chance.
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With under five seconds left and the score knotted, 87-87, Fighting Irish guard Blake Wesley drove the opposing hoop and tossed up a shot. It missed, but forward Paul Atkinson Jr. was in perfect position to clean up the rebound, find space and bank in a layup to give Notre Dame the lead with 1.4 seconds left. Notre Dame held on to win, 89-87 in a double-overtime classic.
NOTRE DAME WINS IT IN DOUBLE OT!
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 17, 2022
THE LUCK OF THE IRISH ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY 🍀@NDmbb #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/BmeIiznSF2
Fitting that the Irish came out on top on St. Patrick's Day.
It was also fitting that Atkinson was the one to score the eventual winner. He led Notre Dame in points on the night with 26. Helping him out quite a bit was guard Cormac Ryan with 16 points and Dane Goodwin with 12.
Notre Dame moves on to face Alabama in the first round of the men's tournament.
