Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish Match Player Stats On Mar 09, 2021

Trey Wertz hit a game-winning 3-point basket at the buzzer as Notre Dame rallied to defeat Wake Forest 80-77 in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament Tuesday night in Greensboro, N.C.

Notre Dame scored 12 straight points to pull even at 75 with 2:30 remaining.Then the Irish took their first lead of the game on two Prentiss Hubb free throws with 2:08 left.

The Demon Deacons missed 10 consecutive shots from the field before Carter Whitt's tying jumper.

Wake Forest appeared to have the last chance in regulation, but Cormac Ryan blocked Daivien Williamson's shot and the Irish hurried to the other end. Wertz's basket was from beyond 30 feet.

Juwan Durham and Wertz both had 16 points for 11th-seeded Notre Dame (11-14), which had knocked Florida State out of first place in the regular-season finale three days earlier, snapping a four-game losing streak.

Ryan and Hubb both ended up with 14 points.

The Irish, who trailed by 16 points in the second half, meet sixth-seeded North Carolina in the second round Wednesday night.

Notre Dame trimmed a 16-point hole to 69-63 with more than eight minutes remaining. Isaiah Mucius and Williamson responded with 3-pointers on Wake Forest's next two possessions.

Williamson's 21 points and Mucius' 20 points led 14th-seeded Wake Forest (6-16), which ended the first season under coach Steve Forbes on an eight-game losing streak.

Whitt finished with 12 points.

Mucius scored six points in a 78-second span as the Demon Deacons burst to a 58-42 advantage early in the second half.

Whitt had two 3s during the first four minutes of the second half.

Even though Notre Dame scored the final five points of the first half, the Demon Deacons went to the break with a 44-37 lead.

The Irish had a stretch of 6-for-7 shooting from the field to climb back in it after trailing by 14.

Wake Forest led 21-7 less than eight minutes into the game despite hitting only one 3-point attempt. At the time, the Demon Deacons held a 15-1 rebounding advantage.

Mucius posted 11 of the team's first 16 points.

--Field Level Media