WASHINGTON — Either the ACC Tournament was going to get Part III of the classic North Carolina-Duke trilogy in the semifinal, or the Blue Devils would run out of gas, just as coach Mike Krzyzewski had warned the day before.
They ran out of gas, in spectacular fashion, with a lot of help from an inspired, aggressive and fearless Notre Dame team. The fourth-seeded, unranked Irish — defending tournament champions — erased a 16-point second-half deficit, forced overtime, and held on to knock the Blue Devils out, 84-79, at Verizon Center on Thursday afternoon.
MORE: Unforgettable Cinderellas | SCORES: Notre Dame 84, Duke 79 | SN Scoreboard
Senior forward Zach Auguste was a force at both ends for Notre Dame, with 19 points, 21 rebounds, ferocious defense and contagious energy.