Notre Dame's men's basketball team has been struggling for quite some time, and their latest performance didn't do much to change that narrative. Facing the Pitt Panthers, the Fighting Irish found themselves in a battle not just for pride, but for a spot in the 15-team Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.
Despite briefly taking a 49-48 lead with under seven minutes to go, Notre Dame couldn't hold off Pitt's late surge. The Panthers unleashed a 15-3 run that ultimately sealed Notre Dame's fate in a 73-68 defeat. This loss drops the Irish to 12-15 overall and 3-11 in ACC play, with Pitt gaining a crucial head-to-head tiebreaker for the ACC postseason.
Notre Dame's offense showed signs of life with 48 points in the second half, but it was too little, too late after a dismal first half where they managed just 20 points-their worst under Micah Shrewsberry in ACC play.
Game Breakdown
Notre Dame struggled at the free-throw line, hitting only 7 of 14 attempts. They also turned the ball over eight times, with six of those coming in the second half. Pitt, on the other hand, capitalized by hitting two more threes than Notre Dame, finishing with 11 triples, and converted 18 of 27 free-throw attempts.
While the Panthers had more turnovers (10 compared to Notre Dame's 8), they were more effective in turning those opportunities into points, scoring 12 off turnovers. The decisive 15-3 run in the final minutes left Notre Dame in a hole they couldn't climb out of.
Key Performances
Despite trailing in rebounds 14-5 midway through the first half, Notre Dame rallied to win the rebounding battle 38-36, thanks to Carson Towt's game-high 13 boards. Off the bench, Sir Mohammed contributed nine points and three assists. Cole Certa led the Irish with 16 points, while Logan Imes added 12.
For Pitt, Roman Siulepa was the standout with 22 points, including two pivotal late-game dunks that thwarted Notre Dame's comeback hopes. Nojus Indrusaitis chipped in 17 points and was instrumental from beyond the arc, hitting four of Pitt's 11 threes.
Coach's Corner
Head coach Micah Shrewsberry didn't hold back in his post-game comments. "Congrats to Pitt, they were better than us today," he admitted. Reflecting on the offensive struggles, Shrewsberry noted, "We got great shots, but sometimes it's just not your night."
He was candid about the execution issues, saying, "We were poor in our execution. Every time we did execute, we got layups and dunks. We have to be better and more mature."
As Notre Dame faces an uphill battle to keep their postseason dreams alive, they'll need to address these challenges head-on. With only a few games left in the regular season, the Irish are in a fight to prove they belong in the ACC Tournament.