Forrest's last-second shot lifts FSU basketball to 73-71 win at Notre Dame

Trent Forrest did what Trent Forrest does.

Trailing by three points with a minute left, the Florida State senior guard converted a three-point play to tie the game. Then, after a stop on the other end, the Chipley native drove the lane, missed a runner, grabbed the rebound and put it back up and in with 3.9 seconds left to give the No. 7 Seminoles a 73-71 comeback win over Notre Dame on Wednesday night.

With the victory, FSU improves to 25-5 on the season and 15-4 in the ACC. If the Seminoles win on Saturday at home vs. Boston College they will lock up the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament and more importantly clinch their first-ever ACC regular-season championship.

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No. 7 FSU 73, Notre Dame 71 - Box score

"This game allowed us to, I thought, grow up a little bit tonight," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said. "Because we only led for 20 seconds the entire game. Not many times you're going to win a game on the road, in the ACC, with only leading 20 seconds during the game."

For the first 30 minutes on Wednesday night it appeared like the Seminoles were going to need help later in the week to clinch a share of the title. Notre Dame kept a comfortable working margin well into the second half.

Prentis Hubb scored 19 points in the first 20 minutes. John Mooney scored 16. And the Irish scored 43 points before halftime.

In the second half, Mooney didn't score and Hubb managed just five.

"With about 10 minutes to go, I thought our guys really, really started defending a lot better," Hamilton said.

Meanwhile, M.J. Walker caught fire for the Seminoles.

The junior guard scored five points in the first half before sitting the final eight minutes after picking up his second foul. He then scored 16 in the second half. He actually scored 16 of 18 points for the Seminoles down the stretch as they turned a 13-point deficit into a tie game.

"He had a look in his eye," Hamilton said of Walker. "He was determined that he was going to put us on his shoulder. And I can't say enough about his focus, his determination."

Notre Dame took the lead with 1:46 left on a free throw by T.J. Gibbs.

Hubb increased the lead to three with 1:13 left on a stepback jumper from the baseline.

All that did, though, was set up Forrest to be the hero.

The senior guard finished with 15 points and seven rebounds and three assists. Devin Vassell added 13. And Walker finished with the team-high 21 points.

That was the first win ever for Florida State at Notre Dame.

And now, with one more win, the Seminoles can make some more history by securing their first-ever ACC regular-season title.

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