Before Saturday’s game, Notre Dame coach Mike Brey called Valparaiso “a giant killer.”
The game ended with the giant killer’s slingshot coming a fraction of an inch from toppling the nation’s sixth-ranked college basketball team.
Playing before a crowd of 11,716 at the United Center, the Fighting Irish escaped with a 55-53 victory after a three-point shot by Valparaiso’s Greg Tonagel ricocheted off the rim with 2.4 seconds to play.
“The shot looked like Ole Miss–except it didn’t go in,” said Valparaiso coach Scott Drew, recalling the three-point shot his brother, Bryce, made at the buzzer to upset Mississippi in an opening game of the 1998 NCAA tournament. “Coming in, I don’t think you could ask for anything more–one possession, one shot to win it.”
Valparaiso (5-7) got the basketball with 34.9 seconds remaining when Joaquim Gomes grabbed the rebound of a missed shot in the lane by Notre Dame’s Dan Miller. Nine seconds later the Crusaders called time out, and Drew told his players to try to win the game with a three-pointer in the waning seconds.
The plan was to get the ball to Gomes, who had made seven of his 11 shots, including the three-pointer that pulled Valpo within two points with 1 minute 7 seconds to play. If that plan couldn’t be executed, the next option was to find Tonagel.
Tonagel went into the contest as Valparaiso’s most productive three-point shooter with 12 baskets in 29 attempts. But against the Irish he had missed his three prior shots, all from beyond the arc.
Brey anticipated that Drew would try for a game-winning shot and during the time out put in a defensive stopper, 6-foot-4-inch junior Torrian Jones.
As the seconds ticked off the clock, Gomes found himself covered by two players so guard Stalin Ortiz took the second option. Ortiz passed the ball to Tonagel, and Miller rushed to the perimeter to contest the shot.
“He’s a pretty big guy (6-8),” Tonagel said. “I tried to put a little more arc on the ball. I knew it was long when it left my hand. I was hoping I’d get a lucky bounce.”
Instead, the shot went off the far rim and time ran out while the players were battling for the loose ball beneath the basket.
“We were fortunate to get out of here with a win,” said Brey, whose team improved to 12-1. “Valparaiso in the United Center–a big red flag. Their program is established and they have a history of rising to the occasion on afternoons like this. I have to give a lot of credit to Valparaiso.
“I’m proud that we did what we had to do at key times to win the game. Getting out of town with a two-point win is a great win.”
The key to the Irish’s eighth straight victory was a 17-0 run that enabled them to surmount an early six-point deficit and take a 21-10 lead just past the midway point of the first half.
Consecutive three-point baskets by Matt Carroll, Miller and Chris Quinn began the spree and another three-pointer by Chris Thomas provided the finishing touches.
All told, Notre Dame made 7-of-11 three-point shots and converted 56 percent of its field-goal opportunities in gaining a 36-26 advantage at halftime.
“When we get on a roll, it gets contagious,” Brey said. “We could never get to that in the second half. That’s to Valparaiso’s credit.”
In the second half Drew changed his zone defense to match up with Notre Dame’s four perimeter shooters. It proved to be an antidote. The Irish were 0-for-6 from three-point range and made only 28.6 percent of their shots.
Defensively, Brey’s team kept Valparaiso’s best player, 6-11 senior Ratis Grafs, from being a factor. Grafs missed 7-of-10 shots and was held to 12 points, six under his average.
Valpo made only 33.9 percent of its shots, but the Crusaders had just six turnovers. In contrast, Notre Dame gave away the ball 13 times. Eight of those were by Thomas, the catalyst of its offense.
