Jerian Grant beat Duke on the Irish's home court Wednesday night, and then he kept his own classmates off of it.
Notre Dame's senior point guard made a major statement in his bid for college basketball's Wooden and Naismith Player of the Year Awards, with an absurdly good 23-point, six-rebound, 12-assist, three-steal, and two-block stat line in a 77-73 win over the visiting Blue Devils.
Jerian Grant, Jabari Parker Both Wooden Award Contenders
Grant was absolutely everywhere in the final minute of the game. First, with just 1:08 left on the clock, he managed to picked up a loose ball and heave into the goal as ND's shot clock expired. Later on he found teammate Steve Vasturia wide-open in the corner with 21 seconds left. Vasturia buried the shot to put the Irish up four. Grant capped off his stellar game with a block on Duke's Quinn Cook on the very next possession, securing the victory.
"He loves the moment," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said, per ESPN.com. "He's such a bright-lights, big-stage guy. He is really clutch."
Watch highlights of Grant's amazing performance below:
As the game's final buzzer sounded, the Notre Dame student section appeared ready to storm the court. Grant, however, was able to dissuade the crowd from taking the hardwood with a single motion of his hands.
It was probably the right decision on Grant's part. Not only is a court-storming often an issue of safety for players and fans alike, but also a no. 8 home team beating a no. 4 road team really isn't that much of an upset in the grand scheme of college basketball.
Wow jerian grant just single handedly controlled an entire student section and told them not to rush the court as they were running #respect — Briceton Cannada (@BricetonCannada) January 29, 2015
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