Notre Dame Beats Rutgers in Double-OT to Cap First Four
By MITCH STACY, AP Sports Writer
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Paul Atkinson Jr. was in the right place at the right time for Notre Dame as the clock wound down in the second overtime period against relentless Rutgers.
Atkinson rebounded a missed shot by Blake Wesley and put back a layup with 1.4 seconds left to give the Irish an 89-87 win in a wild First Four game and put them into a first-round West Region contest on Friday in San Diego.
“Well, let me start by saying Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone here,”Hey Dudes Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. “And you notice that Paul's shot went in at 12:02 (EST) on St. Patrick's Day, so maybe there was a little bit of karma there.”
Atkinson, a graduate transfer from Yale and former Ivy League Player of the Year, capp...