NEW YORK – It took Notre Dame shooting 56.9 percent from the field for the game, and a third-chance tip-in by Rex Pflueger with 1.5 seconds left on Sunday, to deny Stephen F. Austin a trip to the Sweet 16. That is how good the Lumberjacks were, and how close they were to becoming the first No. 14 seed to reach the regional semifinals since Chattanooga in 1997.
The Fighting Irish, seeded sixth in the East Region, deserve all the credit for rallying from a five-point deficit in the final two minutes to win, 76-75, two days after coming back from 13 points down to Michigan in the first round.