CLEVELAND, OH – For the first time since 1979, the Fighting Irish are going to the Elite Eight, as 2nd-seeded Notre Dame pulled away in the second half to defeat 7th-seeded Wichita State 81-70 in a Midwest regional semifinal.
Sophomore guard Demetrius Jackson paced the Irish with 20 points. Pat Connaughton added sixteen points and pulled down ten rebounds, while Jerian Grant dished off eleven assists to go along with his nine points.
Fred VanFleet led the Shocker attack with 25 points, while Darius Jackson added 22 points and eight rebounds in the losing effort.
Mike Brey’s squad awaits the winner of Kentucky and West Virginia on Saturday, with a spot in the Final Four on the line.
Gary Cohen and Bill Frieder called the action on Westwood One Sports.