Instant Rewind: Notre Dame 61, Wisconsin 56

PHILADELPHIA — After trailing 56-53 with 26 seconds to play, Notre Dame answered the call with an unbelievable 8-0 run to advance the Irish to the Elite Eight.

Notre Dame overcame a dreadful first half — in which it made just 7 of 29 (24.1 percent) shots and committed seven turnovers — to defeat Wisconsin 61-56 on Friday night in Philadelphia.

Below is an instant recap of the game in chronological order.

6:53 p.m. ET: Starting lineups are in. Matt Farrell will get his third consecutive start tonight, alongside Demetrius Jackson, Steve Vasturia, V.J. Beachem and Zach Auguste.

7:30 p.m. ET: We are underway here in Philly.

17:49 1H | Wisconsin 4, Notre Dame 2. Zach Auguste just picked up his first foul — something to keep an eye on. Irish likely need a big night from him.

14:13 1H | Wisconsin 10, Notre Dame 9. Irish clearly trying to run here on the Badgers, at least after turnovers. Led to a couple transition baskets already.

It’s sloppy, but if they can get it under control, that could bode well for ND’s chances.

12:57 1H | Wisconsin 13, Notre Dame 9. Irish just 4 of 11 from the field early at the first media timeout.

10:00 1H | Wisconsin 13, Notre Dame 11. Notre Dame has made a couple silly mistakes and missed several easy shots here after the first 10 minutes of play. They trail by two, but just clean up some things and (it feels like) they could be ahead by several.

7:31 1H | Wisconsin 17, Notre Dame 13. Still not pretty for both teams at either end. Notre Dame has fallen to just 5 of 19 (26.3 percent) from the field and has committed six turnovers.

4:55 1H | Wisconsin 22, Notre Dame 13. Notre Dame is just 1 of its last 13 from the field. Just nothing falling.

Brey is forced to call a timeout after a Badgers three.

2:55 1H | Wisconsin 22, Notre Dame 16. Finally, a Farrell three falls — but Notre Dame has still made just two of its last 16 attempts.

Halftime | Wisconsin 23, Notre Dame 19. This is … something.

Notre Dame is just 7 f 29 (24.1 percent) overall from the field, and 2 of 9 (22.2 percent) from three-point range. The Irish have committed seven turnovers in just 30 possessions. Yet, they are only down four. Incredible.

Farrell was really the only player with an efficient first half. He made 3 of 4 shots and committed zero turnovers. The Irish need just need someone else — anyone else — to get on a roll.

18:22 2H | Wisconsin 27, Notre Dame 21. The Badgers’ Ethan Happ has already scored two buckets down low. At the other end, Auguste misses an easy layup look.

15:37 2H | Wisconsin 31, Notre Dame 26. A Beachem three-pointer cuts the deficit to three, but a Badgers bucket extended their lead back out to five.

Notre Dame just can’t grab any momentum, any real positive energy going so far. Just lingering around, barely down in a very ugly game.

13:27 2H | Wisconsin 34, Notre Dame 26. Again, Irish are struggling from the field, just 3 of 9 (33.3 percent) this half.

There’s still plenty of time remaining, but it feels like Notre Dame is in desperate need of some magic. From anyone.

11:33 2H | Wisconsin 34, Notre Dame 30. A couple of uptempo buckets from the Irish — layups by Vasturia and Beachem — and you can feel a little momentum here.

Again, just a tad. But it exists. Something that hasn’t for most of the night.

10:10 2H | Wisconsin 34, Notre Dame 34. And … here we go. Tie game after a Jackson layup.

8:50 2H | Notre Dame 38, Wisconsin 37. A pair of Jackson free throws give the Irish a one-point lead after he was called for a charge, but the referees conferred and changed it to a block.

6:38 2H | Wisconsin 41, Notre Dame 38. Just as the Irish take their first lead since it was 5-4, the Badgers score two baskets to go back ahead three.

3:30 2H | Wisconsin 49, Notre Dame 44. The game was again tied before the Badgers reeled off a three, forced a Notre Dame turnover and scored a layup in transition.

Tough sequence for the Irish leads to a Brey timeout.

2:52 2H | Wisconsin 51, Notre Dame 49. Beachem sinks a three and Brey calls another timeout.

1:04 2H | Wisconsin 53, Notre Dame 51. Irish had tied it before a layup from Wisconsin’s Happ on an offensive rebound. Notre Dame has been killed on the glass this half.

0:46.5 2H | Wisconsin 53, Notre Dame 51. Auguste is headed to the line for a one-and-one, as Happ fouls out when diving for a loose ball.

0:46.5 2H | Wisconsin 53, Notre Dame 53. Auguste makes both. Wisconsin has possession.

0:19.3 2H | Wisconsin 56, Notre Dame 55. A three-pointer from Brown put the Badgers ahead by three, but Jackson answered with a quick two at the other end.

0:14.4 2H | Notre Dame 57, Wisconsin 56. Notre Dame forces a turnover on a trap in the backcourt, and Jackson quickly scores on a layup.

0:09 2H | Notre Dame 57, Wisconsin 56. Badgers Koenig goes all the way to the rim and misses a go-ahead layup attempt. Beachem rebounds and was fouled.

0:06 2H | Notre Dame 59, Wisconsin 56. Beachem makes both free throws.

0:02 2H | Notre Dame 59, Wisconsin 56. Koenig is stripped by Jackson dribbling up the court, and is forced to foul the Irish junior.

FINAL | Notre Dame 61, Wisconsin 56. Incredible. The Irish are headed to the Elite Eight.

Box Score: LINK.