CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Braxton Key made a free thow with 2:04 left in overtime and Virginia held off Notre Dame on a rough shooting night for both teams, 50-49 on Tuesday night.
Mamdi Diakite scored 20 points for the Cavaliers (16-7, 8-5 Atlantic Coast Conference), including the basket with 2:51 left in regulation that eventually forced the overtime. Jay Huff added eight points and nine rebounds.
Prentiss Hubb scored 12 and John Mooney had 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Fighting Irish (15-9, 6-7), who saw their four-game winning streak end. The Irish had a chance to win, but Rex Pflueger's 3-pointer from in front of the Notre Dame bench in the final seconds missed and Key tapped the ball away. The Irish finished 20 of 61 from the field (33%) and Virginia was 19-51 (37%).
In the overtime, Diakite hit a pair of free throws to give Virginia the lead, and Hubb's fall-away tied it again with 3:29 left. Key's free throw was the only point the rest of the way, the ball bouncing in after he air-balled the first attempt.
Virginia had trailed since the early going before a 10-0 run gave them a 43-38 lead. Diakite started it with a pair of free throws and Huff scored the last eight points, hitting a pair of 3-pointers and a baby hook. A basket by Diakite made it 45-40 with 6:48 left, but the Irish scored the next seven points until Virginia ended a nearly four-minute scoreless stretch on Diakite's turnaround with 2:51 left. Neither team scored again in regulation.
