Elliot Cadeau's late three pointer pushes UNC to 74-73 win over Notre Dame

The UNC men’s basketball team (9-6, 2-1 ACC) survived, 74-73, against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-7, 1-2 ACC) on Saturday afternoon in the team’s third conference game of the season. 

Traveling to South Bend, the Tar Heels looked to bounce back after another late second half collapse against Lousiville, and they did. The effort came without star junior guard Seth Trimble, who was out with an upper body injury for the third straight game. A last second 3-pointer from sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau pushed UNC past the Fighting Irish. 

First-year guard Ian Jackson continued his hot play, jumpstarting North Carolina’s scoring with a corner 3-pointer, tying the game at four early on. Graduate guard RJ Davis gave the Tar Heels a 6-4 lead on a backdoor pass to first-year forward Drake Powell.

Davis found the bottom of the net for the first time on a transition pull-up jumper from the elbow, giving the Tar Heels a 12-9 lead. 

Jackson continued his fast start, capitalizing on a Notre Dame turnover with an emphatic transition slam, proving to be North Carolina’s offensive catalyst early on. The dunk sparked UNC a 14-2 run, primarily led by Jackson who scored ten points during the run, giving the Tar Heels a 26-14 lead. 

Consecutive 3-pointers by Notre Dame’s Matt Allocco and Braeden Shrewsberry cut UNC’s lead to six with under eight minutes remaining in the first half. 

A deep 3-pointer from sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau extended UNC’s lead to nine, but the Fighting Irish fought back with four straight points from Notre Dame star Markus Burton.

North Carolina’s lead ballooned to eleven off an inbound jumper from Jackson at the 2:23 mark of the first half. The Fighting Irish went on an 8-5 run, cutting UNC’s lead to 39-32 at the end of the first half. 

The Tar Heels entered halftime with a commanding seven point lead, sparked by Jackson’s 17 first half points. 

A driving floater by Davis gave UNC its first points of the second half and also pushed Davis past center Armando Bacot for the second most points in North Carolina men’s basketball history. 

Notre Dame answered back with a 12-0 run, including ten points from Burton, giving the Fighting Irish a 48-47 lead a little over six minutes into the second half. 

Once again when the Tar Heels needed a bucket, Jackson responded, ending UNC’s scoring drought on a hard drive to the basket. 

Both teams traded baskets, but an acrobatic finish at the rim by Jackson cut the Fighting Irish lead to 63-61. 

After two made free throws from Burton, Jackson came up clutch again with a tough transition bucket to equal the score at 66. Davis added a transition basket of his own to give North Carolina a one point lead, but back-to-back buckets from forward Tae Davis and Burton extended Notre Dame’s lead to 71-68 with under two minutes left. 

Cadeau got the Tar Heels within one on a drive to the paint with 22 seconds remaining in the game. 

An intentional foul sent Allocco to the line, who converted both free throws, 73-70 Notre Dame. 

But with under five seconds remaining and the Tar Heels down three points, Elliot Cadeau held the ball behind the 3-point line. Cadeau hoisted a heavily contested shot — swish, and-1. Cadeau tied the game at 73, and gave UNC the lead with the free throw. A four point possession handed North Carolina a 74-73 lead with under 5 seconds left. 

A wild shot by Burton missed wide off the glass gave the Tar Heels the last second win. 

UNC will take the court next when they host the SMU Mustangs on Jan. 7 at 9 p.m.

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