No. 25 Notre Dame outlasted No. 11 Louisville, 104-101, in a five-overtime thriller that will go down as an instant classic.
"It was one of those magical nights in our building," Irish coach Mike Brey said. "I can't even remember all the big plays that [our] guys made."
The Irish (19-5, 7-4 Big East) overcame an eight-point deficit with 46 seconds left of regulation when junior guard Jerian Grant knocked home 12 straight points - three 3-pointers and a layup plus an ensuing foul shot to complete a three-point play - in the last 45 seconds.
"[I've] never seen anything like that," Brey said. "What he did there was amazing."
Grant later fouled out in the first overtime, which led to senior forward Garrick Sherman's first appearance of the game since senior forward Jack Cooley fouled out midway through the second half. Sherman finished with 17 points and six rebounds, all in overtime, while also sending the game to a fifth overtime with a tip-in with five seconds left.
Junior guard Eric Atkins logged 60 minutes, ending the game with 14 points. With 2:08 left in the fifth overtime, Atkins hit a layup to Notre Dame up for good. Louisville junior guard Russ Smith had a chance to tie the game, but his last-gasp 3-pointer fell short as Notre Dame students rushed the court in celebration.
"Our fans were great. Special night, special memory," Brey said. "We enjoyed the moment. We were having fun with it."
The Irish return to action on Feb. 13 when they host DePaul in Purcell Pavilion.
