Georgia Tech never trailed for the first 38 minutes of the game Tuesday, but went scoreless for a 5-minute stretch late in the game and succumbed to Notre Dame in a 71-68 loss at Purcell Pavilion.
Looking for its first win in South Bend, Indiana, since the Fighting Irish joined the ACC, Tech (9-12, 3-7 ACC) opened the second half scoring the first six points to break a 37-all tie and led by as many as seven at 62-55 after Nait George made a pull-up jumper at the 5:35 mark. George led the Jackets with 20 points and five assists.
But the Jackets missed their next eight shots from the floor, and the Fighting Irish (9-10, 4-5 ACC) scored 13 straight points to grab the lead and steal the win. Braeden Shrewsberry started the rally with a 3 and then Notre Dame’s leading scorer, Markus Burton, drained a pair of 3s on the Irish’s next two possessions to put the home team ahead for good 64-62 with 1:49 to go.
After Kebba Njie scored a layup with 37 seconds left, the Irish sealed the game at the free throw line, making five of six, sending the Jackets to their 11th consecutive loss at Purcell Pavilion.
Tech had been 20-0, and 9-0 this season, under Stoudamire when leading at the 5-minute mark of the second half - it was up 62-58 at that point Tuesday.
Tech shot 49.1% from the floor and turned the ball over just eight times in a losing effort. Duncan Powell scored 18 for the Jackets and Baye Ndongo added 10.
George had 20 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks.
Burton scored a game-high 26 points for Notre Dame, 18 of them in the second half, while Shrewsberry chipped in with 15.
Tech returns to action at 3:45 p.m. Saturday when it hosts No. 21 Louisville at McCamish Pavilion.
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