By Brian HamiltonNEW YORK -- In a game it had no business winning, Notre Dame had a chance to do so at the very end.
An epic struggle offensively against a top 10 team nonetheless boiled down to one final chance to win, but a Tory Jackson 3-pointer with time running out came up short and the Irish fell 53-51 to West Virginia in a Big East tournament semifinal.
Thus the Irish miss a chance to participate in their first-ever conference tournament title game, instead heading home to await a slotting in the NCAA Tournament bracket that seemed highly unlikely just a month ago.
Photo: Notre Dame's Ben Hansbrough shoots over West Virginia's Devin Ebanks. (AP / Frank Franklin II)
The Irish trailed by as many as 10 in the second half and shot a paltry
34.1 percent for the game. With the double-digit deficit and shot-making troubles, an exit from
the tournament seemed inevitable.
Then West Virginia got sloppy and the Irish suddenly got hot. Two Ben Hansbrough 3-pointers cut the deficit to 48-45 with three and a half minutes left. Two Jackson free throws made it a one-point game a half a minute later.
West Virginia then scored four straight points, sandwiching a Jackson missed 3-pointer, to bump the lead to five. It was back down to 53-51 with 47.4 seconds left, following two Hansbrough free throws, and the Mountaineers' Da'Sean Butler missed on a step-back jump shot with the shot clock running down and 11 seconds to play.
Notre Dame's Luke Harangody corralled the rebound, Jackson raced up-court for a pull-up jumper that came up short, and the Irish couldn't get a follow off for a final chance to tie.
Hansbrough led Notre Dame with 17 points, and Butler finished with 24 for West Virginia.
Then West Virginia got sloppy and the Irish suddenly got hot. Two Ben Hansbrough 3-pointers cut the deficit to 48-45 with three and a half minutes left. Two Jackson free throws made it a one-point game a half a minute later.
West Virginia then scored four straight points, sandwiching a Jackson missed 3-pointer, to bump the lead to five. It was back down to 53-51 with 47.4 seconds left, following two Hansbrough free throws, and the Mountaineers' Da'Sean Butler missed on a step-back jump shot with the shot clock running down and 11 seconds to play.
Notre Dame's Luke Harangody corralled the rebound, Jackson raced up-court for a pull-up jumper that came up short, and the Irish couldn't get a follow off for a final chance to tie.
Hansbrough led Notre Dame with 17 points, and Butler finished with 24 for West Virginia.
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