Dylan Harper and Rutgers oust Notre Dame in OT

Dylan Harper dropped a career-high 36 points and Rutgers held off Matt Allocco and Notre Dame 85-84 in overtime to cap a wild first day of the Players Era Festival on Tuesday night in Las Vegas.

Allocco forced overtime by making a 3-pointer with seven seconds left.

With the Fighting Irish holding a lead, Harper threw a pass to Jeremiah Williams for an open corner 3 that made the score 75-73 at the 2:53 mark. Rutgers pocketed the ball and Jordan Derkack scored on the fast break to make it a two-possession game.

Notre Dame had no choice but to foul Rutgers, and Allocco made three 3-pointers in 26 seconds. The third, leaning on his defender, equalized to make it 84 with 15 seconds left.

But Irish freshman Cole Certa, unaware of the tie, then fouled Harper, who sank one of two free throws. Notre Dame set up a last-ditch effort for Allocco, whose 3-pointer at the buzzer went just wide.

Rutgers (5-1) will face No. 9 Alabama on Wednesday and Notre Dame (4-2) will face No. 6 Houston on Wednesday before championship day games can be set.

Harper had six rebounds, six assists and just one turnover in the highest-scoring game by any freshman this season. Derkack had 16 points and Williams and Ace Bailey scored 10 each for Rutgers.

Notre Dame played most of the game without leading scorer Markus Burton, who hobbled with a right leg injury less than four minutes into the game. Rutgers center Emmanuel Ogbole fell to Burton’s feet during a play for the ball.

Allocco stepped forward. He was the only player from either team to play all 45 minutes and finished the game with 24 points, six 3-pointers, 10 rebounds and five assists. Braeden Shrewsberry had 12 of his 16 points before halftime, Tae Davis scored 15 points and Burke Chebuhar scored 11 and grabbed seven rebounds.

Harper picked up two early fouls but still scored nine of Rutgers’ first 14 points, with his fastbreak layup cutting Notre Dame’s lead to two at 9:50. Shrewsberry countered with his third 3-pointer of the contest to make it 25-15, Notre Dame’s largest lead at 9-1.

Derkack scored eight points in the final 5:13 of the half and his tough layup in the final minute cut Rutgers’ halftime deficit to 35-34.

Each team scored five consecutive baskets in the second half, and the largest lead by either side was six when Logan Imes and Chebuhar scored three points on consecutive possessions to give Notre Dame a 62-56 lead with 7:08 to go.

Rutgers responded with a decisive 9-0 run. Harper gave the Scarlet Knights a 63-62 lead with a three-point play and then set up Derkack for a two-handed jam.

Notre Dame remained scoreless for 4:57 before Davis made two free throws. Then Allocco hit a go-ahead shot with 1:26 minutes left in regulation time. Bailey jumped and Derkack converted two foul shots to give Rutgers a 69-66 lead and set up Allocco’s heroics.

–Field level media