Northeastern came this close to pulling off the first upset of the NCAA Tournament.
The No. 14th-seeded Huskies gave No. 3 Notre Dame their best, but the Irish managed to squeak out a 69-65 victory in the second round of the Midwest Regional in the first game on tap Thursday. The game came down to the final seconds, as Northeastern — making its first trip to the tourney since 1991 — had an opportunity to tie or take the lead with 33 seconds remaining.
Following a Notre Dame turnover with the Irish leading by two, Northeastern got the ball back with a chance to bust some brackets. But the Huskies couldn’t get a shot off. The Irish forced a turnover, causing the Huskies to steal, and Zach Auguste sunk both free throws with 1.9 seconds remaining to seal his team’s win.
Auguste recorded a game-high 25 points to lead the Irish, who never trailed in the second half, while Demetrius Jackson contributed nine points, eight assists and the play of the game. Scott Eatherton finished with 18 points for Northeastern, while David Walker added 15 points and seven assists.
Notre Dame advanced to the Round of 32, where it will face the winner of the Butler-Texas matchup.
Thumbnail photo via Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports Images
