Notre Dame beats Rutgers in double OT to cap First Four

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DAYTON, Ohio  — 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," 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, capped his finest game of the season, leading the Irish with 26 points and six rebounds.

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"Blake, I saw him driving to the rim," Atkinson said. "I knew he was going to go hard, either get a foul or make a bucket. I just wanted to follow up if it was a miss and no call. I just wanted to chase after the ball. Got it up and got a good bucket."

Ron Harper Jr. had tied it with a long 3-pointer for Rutgers with 22 seconds left in the second OT before Atkinson won the scrum under the basket and put up the winner.

Notre Dame players celebrate after defeating Rutgers 89-87 in double overtime in a First Four game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, early Thursday, March 17, 2022, in Dayton, Ohio. (Associated Press)

"They were one possession better," Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said.

Nate Laszewski had 18 and Cormac Ryan 16 for the Irish (23-10).

"I haven’t felt like this in a long time,"