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NO. 8 NOTRE DAME 85, VIRGINIA TECH 60
BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Notre Dame came into its game ranked No. 8 in the country, and first-time observers might have left thinking the Fighting Irish are even better than that.
Jerian Grant scored 18 points to lead Notre Dame to an 85-60 victory over Virginia Tech on Thursday night.
Grant shot 6 of 9 from the floor, including two three-pointers, as the Fighting Irish (18-2, 6-1 ACC) won their third consecutive game. Pat Connaughton added 17 points and tied a season high with five three-pointers on a night when the Fighting Irish shot 12 of 26 from beyond the three-point arc.
"We're playing with a lot of confidence right now," Grant said. "We're taking it one game at a time, but the sky is the limit for us. The one thing about us is we're still getting better."
Zach Auguste finished with 16 points and Demetrius Jackson had 12 for Notre Dame, which shot 49.2 percent from the floor (29 of 59). The Fighting Irish came in ranked second nationally in field-goal percentage (52.8 percent).
"We got some threes in transition before their defense could get set," Notre Dame Coach Mike Brey said. "Connaughton goes and gets 10 rebounds, and we're out and we're running, and we got really clean looks.
"I just don't think a lot of people in the country play like us and move the ball like us. It's just a heck of a weapon."
The Irish had 19 assists compared to just six turnovers.
"It's the way we move the ball," Grant said. "We're really unselfish. We look to make the extra pass in transition. We look for the open guy. Nobody is forcing anything. As long as we play within our game, we're good."
Notre Dame won despite an off game from reserve guard V.J. Beachem, who missed all 10 of his shot attempts, including seven three-pointers. Beachem came into the game making more than half of his three-point attempts.
The Irish, who beat Virginia Tech for the fifth consecutive time, led 38-28 at halftime and broke open the game with a 17-6 run to start the second half. Jackson hit two three-pointers in that run, and a layup by Auguste gave Notre Dame a 55-34 lead with 14:52 remaining.
"I told Coach (Brey) that they're as good a team as he has had, in my opinion," Virginia Tech Coach Buzz Williams said. "I thought at times in the first half we did OK, but I thought we became offensive sensitive in the second half.
"When you're playing against a team and you're constantly taking the ball out of the net, you want to turn it into a scoring contest and you think your stops will come after you make a basket," Williams added. "That's not the right way to play, period, but it's for sure not the right way to play against Notre Dame because they'll win."
Ahmed Hill scored 13 points for Virginia Tech (8-10, 0-5), which lost for the fifth consecutive time, four by double digits. Jalen Hudson added 12 for the Hokies, who shot just 38.7 percent (24 of 62) from the floor and got outrebounded 43-29.
DEPAUL 64, NO. 24 SETON HALL 60
NEWARK, N.J. -- Billy Garrett Jr. scored 14 points before fouling out and Myke Henry also had 14 to help DePaul come from behind and edge No. 24 Seton Hall.
It was DePaul's first victory on the road against Seton Hall, and it snapped a 51-game losing streak for the Blue Demons (11-8, 5-2) against ranked teams -- dating to 2008, when they defeated No. 17 Villanova.
Darrick Wood (11 points) and Rashaun Stimage (10 points) each hit clutch free throws in the closing seconds to help the Blue Demons. Stimage also grabbed a huge rebound with 3.9 seconds to seal the victory.
DePaul outscored Seton Hall 17-5 over the final five minutes.
Angel Delgado set career highs with 19 points and 19 rebounds for the Pirates (13-5, 3-3). Khadeem Carrington added 12 before fouling out, and Brandon Mobley had 10 points and eight rebounds. Leading scorer Sterling Gibbs scored just four points, shooting just 2 of 16 shots from the floor and missing all seven of his shots from beyond the three-point line.
It looked as if Seton Hall had the game won, going on a 10-1 run, thanks to Mobley, who had two free throws, then had a monstrous breakaway dunk. Jaren Sina capped the run with a long three-pointer that pushed the lead to 55-47 with 5:48 left.
The Pirates held the Blue Demons for more than five minutes without a field goal.
But the Blue Demons crept back into the game, courtesy of clutch plays from Wood and Stimage down the stretch. Wood's power drive to the basket with 1:49 left gave the Blue Demons the lead for good.
The Pirates turned the ball over on two possessions with a chance to tie in the final minute.
DePaul took early control in the first half, courtesy of a 10-0 run. Garrett scored four points and Henry made four consecutive free throws in that stint that gave the Blue Demons a 26-16 lead with 6:36 remaining in the half.
Seton Hall sliced the lead to 31-29 on four consecutive free throws from Carrington with 2:19 remaining, but Garrett had a rebound basket in the closing seconds, helping DePaul hold a 36-33 lead at the break.
The Blue Demons then came out strong in the second half. Stimage made a power move down low and Aaron Simpson drained a long three-pointer, pushing the lead to 41-33 less than two minutes into the half. Stimage's short jumper gave DePaul a 43-33 lead with 17:54 left.
But the Pirates stormed back, using a full-court press to force turnovers and change tempo, with freshmen Delgado, Carrington and Desi Rodriguez all keying a 12-0 run that gave Seton Hall a 45-43 lead with 14:23 remaining, with Delgado's rebound and subsequent free throw putting the Pirates ahead.
Sports on 01/23/2015