Virginia Tech Overpowers Notre Dame in Dominant ACC Win
Notre Dame came into Saturday’s matchup at Cassell Coliseum looking to snap a three-game skid and regain some footing in ACC play. But instead of righting the ship, the Irish ran into a Virginia Tech squad that was hungry, focused, and firing on all cylinders.
The Hokies, still stinging from a heartbreaking buzzer-beater loss at SMU earlier in the week, responded with a statement win-an 89-76 victory that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score suggests. From the opening minutes, Virginia Tech imposed its will, and Notre Dame never really found a rhythm.
Hokies in Control from the Jump
Virginia Tech (14-5, 3-3 ACC) wasted no time seizing control. After Notre Dame briefly held a 7-5 lead early, the Hokies took over and never looked back, leading for the final 36 minutes and change.
They built an 11-point halftime cushion and stretched it to 19 just six minutes into the second half. By the time the Irish tried to mount any sort of response, the game was already out of reach.
The Hokies were relentless in the paint and surgical at the free-throw line. They made their first 24 attempts from the stripe and finished 28-of-32 overall. That kind of efficiency is hard to beat-especially when it’s paired with 50.9% shooting from the field and a 60.6% clip on two-pointers.
Head coach Mike Young’s team leaned on its depth and balance, with four players scoring in double figures. Tobi Lawal led the way with 22 points and 11 rebounds, dominating inside and converting 14-of-18 free throws.
Amani Hansberry added 21 points on a perfect 9-of-9 from the line. Ben Hammond chipped in 16, and Jailen Bedford dropped 14.
Notre Dame’s Struggles Continue
For Notre Dame (10-8, 1-4 ACC), the loss marked a fourth straight defeat and another frustrating afternoon on the road. The Irish have shown flashes under head coach Micah Shrewsberry, but the recurring issues-turnovers, inconsistent shooting, and a lack of physicality inside-continue to haunt them in conference play.
They turned the ball over 13 times, which, while not catastrophic, didn’t help in a game where every possession mattered. From beyond the arc, Notre Dame struggled mightily, hitting just 6-of-24 from deep, including 3-of-11 in the second half.
Despite a solid 16-of-21 showing at the free-throw line, they couldn’t match Virginia Tech’s relentless interior attack. The Hokies lived in the paint and at the line, with Lawal and Hansberry combining for more free-throw attempts (27) than the entire Irish roster.
“They dominated the paint,” Shrewsberry said postgame. “That was a big part of it.
We’re playing small, so we have to scramble and trap. They just kept attacking us.
And then 32 free throws… Lawal shoots 18, Hansberry shoots nine. That was more than our whole team.”
Turning Points That Sealed It
Notre Dame had a brief spark midway through the first half when Sir Mohammed’s steal and layup cut the deficit to just two at 22-20. But out of a timeout, Virginia Tech responded with a 10-0 burst to push the lead to double digits-a cushion they would never relinquish.
Early in the second half, Carson Towt’s tip-in trimmed the lead to nine, but once again, the Hokies answered with a knockout punch-another 10-0 run, this one fueled by a Hansberry and-one, a Neoklis Avdalas three, and a Lawal bucket. Just like that, the lead ballooned to 19, and the Irish were buried.
Irish Bright Spots
Despite the loss, a few individual performances stood out for Notre Dame:
- Brady Koehler: The freshman posted a career-high 17 points, with 15 coming in the second half. He shot 5-of-7 from the field, including 2-of-3 from deep, and added five free throws.
- Cole Certa: Certa provided a spark off the bench, scoring 14 points on 2-of-4 shooting from three in the first half and going a perfect 6-of-6 from the line.
- Sir Mohammed: Inserted into the starting lineup, the sophomore made an immediate impact with five quick points and finished with 12. He gave the Irish their final lead of the game early on and was one of the few consistent offensive threats in the first half.
- Matt MacLellan: The 6-foot-9 transfer from Madonna University stepped in for the injured Kebba Njie and gave Notre Dame 11 minutes of solid effort in the frontcourt rotation.
First-Half Breakdown
Virginia Tech came out aggressive, opening an 18-9 lead behind 7-of-9 shooting and 10 fast-break points in the first six minutes. Notre Dame struggled to keep up, turning the ball over eight times and hitting just 3-of-13 from deep in the first half.
By halftime, the Hokies had built a 45-34 lead, shooting 56% from the field and a perfect 11-of-11 from the line. Three Virginia Tech players were already in double figures, while only Certa had cracked double digits for the Irish.
Notre Dame’s leading scorer, Jalen Haralson, was held to just four points in the first half and finished with eight. Braedon Shrewsberry couldn’t find his stroke either, going 0-for-5 from three and finishing with six points.
What’s Next?
With the loss, Notre Dame drops to 1-4 in ACC play and still hasn’t reached the bonus in the first half of any conference game. That’s a telling stat-and one that speaks to the team’s struggle to generate pressure and attack the rim consistently.
“We’ve got to work to get better,” Shrewsberry said. “We’ve got to try to get to the free-throw line.”
The Irish will now turn their attention to a tough road trip to North Carolina, hoping to regroup and find some answers. But if Saturday’s game showed anything, it’s that there’s still a long way to go before this young Notre Dame squad can consistently compete in the ACC.