Lack of execution down the stretch comes back to bite Irish against Jags
| BataviasBest.org
Sunday, March 8 , 2015
In a classic matchup between two quality D1 schools yesterday afternoon, Notre Dame was unable to defeat a hard-nosed Genesee Valley team – falling to the Jags by a final score of 57-53 in overtime. The loss was a tough one to take if you were a fan of the Fighting Irish, as the local team had found their way to a six point lead late in the game but failed to maintain their advantage and lost as a result.
Falling behind 15-11 following the first quarter of play yesterday, the Irish would begin the game in comeback mode against the Jags. However, by the time the halftime buzzer had sounded and each team headed to the locker room, ND had worked their way back to tie the score at 27-all.
Throughout the first half each side had played fairly well, while Tyler Zlomek and Josh Johnson highlighted the action – repeatedly trading blows for their respective teams and finishing the half with about ten points a piece.
Coming out of the locker room, Notre Dame started to heat up.
Johnson had remained in rhythm for the Irish offensively, while Casey Midwick had also come on strong, and by the end of the third quarter ND had gained a six-point advantage over the Jags and headed to the fourth seemingly in control of their own destiny.
However, during the fourth, the Jags came alive.
Beginning with a few early buckets from big man Carter Schneider, followed by a couple of free throws from Tyler
Zlomek, Genesee Valley had found themselves within one point of the Irish lead with 3:10 remaining in regulation. Following the brief run, though, ND continued to maintain their slight edge over the Jags and with 19 seconds remaining on the game clock, ahead by three points, the Irish were fouled and went to the line for two shots.
Going to the line for ND was Johnson, as the Senior had the chance to seal the deal and put his team ahead by two possessions. However, unable to knock down either attempt, the Irish gave the ball back to the Jags with a chance to tie the score on a three-ball as time ticked under twenty seconds remaining.
As GV came down, they were able to find an open man (Dan George) along the perimeter, get off a clean look…
….and knock down the game-tying three-pointer – effectively sending an arrow straight through the heart of the entire Irish sideline and Irish faithful in the stands. Although three seconds remained on the clock following the clutch shot, the damage had been done to Notre Dame, who had gone from one point away from sealing the deal to a sudden Sea of Despair.
After a timeout, the ball was inbounded and the Irish tried to go the length of the floor for the win before overtime – but failed – and with the score deadlocked at 51-all, we were headed for the extra session.
During the game’s overtime frame it was all Genesee Valley.
Although they were only able to manage one field goal during the period, the Jags found their offense from the free throw line down the stretch and used 4/6 shooting from the stripe during OT to push them over the Irish when it was all said and done. On the other side, Notre Dame hit a sudden cold spell during overtime – going 1/7 from the field over the game’s final minutes on their way to the eventual four-point setback.
After the dust had cleared, and the final buzzer sounded, it was heartbreak city for Notre Dame. As you looked to the sideline you saw many distraught faces with a look of shock in response to what had just occurred.
With a few minutes to go it seemed as if the Irish had the game in hand, but give credit to the Jags, who continued to battle despite trailing for much of the second half, overcame the late deficit, and eventually won the D1 Title.
All in all, it was a fantastic game yesterday night at Blue Cross Arena, and after a hard-fought affair with each side giving all they could – it just wasn’t meant to be for this Irish team.
However, following a great season in which many new faces filled new roles for this squad, 2014/2015 should be viewed as a season of success for this group – despite the end result. Many, like myself, weren’t sure what to expect from this team going into the year, but after putting together a quality regular season and Sectional run, there is much to be proud of today if you’re an ND fan.
Congratulations to the Irish on a fantastic season!!
STATS
Johnson (ND) – 22 points, 10 rebounds
Zlomek (GV) – 24 points
Midwick (ND) – 9 points
Schneider (GV) – 13 points, 18 rebounds
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