N.C.A.A. Men’s Tournament: Duke Keeps Krzyzewski’s Last Season Alive

SAN DIEGO — Texas Tech’s gamers got here as marketed. They bumped, they grinded, they switched and so they dared Notre Dame to deliver its offense into the center of the ground. And for an additional night time, because the Pink Raiders’ offense additionally lived right down to its popularity, it labored.

The Pink Raiders stonewalled Notre Dame’s storybook week — and season — with a 59-53 win regardless of taking pictures 35.6 p.c from the sphere. Because of this, Texas Tech superior to the spherical of 16 on Thursday in opposition to Duke in San Francisco.

“The ball’s going to go in some nights, and a few nights it’s not,” Kevin McCullar, the Texas Tech guard, mentioned. “We all know one factor that might be constant is our protection and energy. We need to be the hardest-playing workforce on the market, at all times.”

After a double-overtime basic in opposition to Rutgers in a play-in sport and a spirited first-round win over Alabama on Friday, the Combating Irish merely couldn’t overcome the nation’s chief in defensive effectivity. It was a defensive battle that at instances was extra rock struggle than ballet. What it lacked in artistry it made up for in grit.

Texas Tech’s bigs have been an excessive amount of for Notre Dame inside within the first half, holding the Irish to only 25 p.c from the sphere (7 for 28). The Irish’s greatest probability early was taking pictures over the Texas Tech protection, and their 31 p.c success from 3-point vary (5 for 16) within the first half pulled them to inside 26-25 at halftime.

However the margin for error was slim. Paul Atkinson Jr., who popped for a game-high 26 factors in opposition to Rutgers on Wednesday, was restricted to five factors — and one subject aim — by the Pink Raiders. And Texas Tech held the sharpshooter Cormac Ryan, coming off a career-high 29 factors in opposition to Alabama on Friday, to only 9 factors. For the sport, Notre Dame shot 32.7 p.c. Nonetheless, the Irish had an opportunity to win into the ultimate minute as a result of Texas Tech shot solely 32.1 p.c within the second half.

Notre Dame had issue controlling ahead Kevin Obanor, who led Texas Tech with 15 factors. In actual fact, Obanor, Bryson Williams and McCullar (14 factors apiece) mixed to attain 43 of Texas Tech’s 59 factors.

— Scott Miller