NEW YORK — V.J. Beacham scored 18 points, including the 3-pointer that gave Notre Dame the lead for good, and the sixth-seeded Fighting Irish beat 11th-seeded Michigan 70-63 on Friday night in the first round of the East Regional at Barclays Center.
The Fighting Irish (22-11) didn’t take a lead in the game until Beacham’s 3 with 9:26 left to make it 51-48. From there on there were five lead changes and three ties.
Notre Dame will face 14th-seeded Stephen F. Austin in the second round on Sunday. The Lumberjacks upset third-seeded West Virginia 70-56.
Michigan (23-13) controlled the first half, taking a 41-29 lead. Notre Dame scored the first eight points of the second half, a run that included 3-pointers by Vasturia and Matt Farrell, matching the team’s total of the first half. It brought the Fighting Irish within 41-37.
Beacham’s 3 with 4:24 left gave Notre Dame a 62-59 lead, one they never gave up.
Michigan beat Tulsa 67-62 on Wednesday in the First Four. Wichita State, the other 11th seed to win a First Four game, advanced to the second round with a victory over Arizona.
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