Irish Men's Hoops battled all night, but ultimately came up short against Rutgers on Tuesday night in Las Vegas

In a game that featured 12 ties and 17 lead changes, Irish power forward Paul Atkinson’s rebound basket with 1.2 seconds left gave Notre Dame an 89-87 victory and sent the Irish on to face Alabama in the first round in San Diego. Atkinson scored a game-high 26 points with six rebounds.

The best-case scenario was that Rutgers basketball's stunning loss at Kennesaw State would serve as a wake-up call for a talented, youth-driven squad. Dylan Harper answered the alarm in resounding fashion Tuesday night.