Notre Dame Grinds Out Ugly, Gritty Win Over Stanford in ACC Opener
It wasn’t pretty. In fact, it was downright messy.
But for Notre Dame men’s basketball, beauty wasn’t the goal Tuesday night in Palo Alto - survival was. And thanks to a relentless effort on the glass, a couple of timely threes, and just enough composure down the stretch, the Irish escaped with a 47-40 win over Stanford to open ACC play.
This one felt more like a rock fight than a basketball game. Notre Dame shot just 32% from the field, missed nearly half of its free throws, and didn’t hit a three until the game was more than 26 minutes old. But when the shots weren’t falling, the Irish leaned into their identity - physical, team-first defense and a commitment to controlling the boards.
Rebounding Wins Ugly Games
Let’s start with what Notre Dame did best: dominate the glass. The Irish outrebounded Stanford 48-36, including a commanding 25-11 edge at one point that told the story of the night. This wasn’t just a stat-padding performance; it was a tone-setting effort that gave Notre Dame extra possessions and kept Stanford from ever getting into rhythm.
Carson Towt was a big reason why. In just 22 minutes, he pulled down 10 boards and chipped in eight points. His presence in the paint gave the Irish a physical edge that Stanford never quite matched.
Turning Point: Sundra Delivers When It Counts
With just under six minutes to play, Notre Dame was clinging to a 39-35 lead. Stanford had the momentum, the home crowd, and the ball. But that’s when Garrett Sundra stepped up and delivered the two biggest shots of the night - back-to-back threes that pushed the lead to 45-38 and silenced the building.
In a game where every bucket felt like gold, those two shots were the equivalent of hitting the jackpot. Notre Dame had gone nearly three full quarters of game time without a made three, and then Sundra delivered two in quick succession to give the Irish the breathing room they desperately needed.
Brady Koehler added one more three late, giving Notre Dame just three triples for the night - but all three came when it mattered most.
Freshmen Learning on the Fly
Jalen Haralson continues to be a fascinating study in freshman development. He’s raw, he’s fearless, and he’s still figuring it out. Tuesday night was a microcosm of that journey.
Haralson finished with 13 points, tied for the game high, and gave Notre Dame crucial offense in the first half when both teams were struggling to find any rhythm. But he also coughed up the ball eight times and went just 3-of-8 from the free-throw line. The talent is obvious - the polish is still coming.
Still, without Haralson’s early scoring, Notre Dame might not have had a chance to pull this one out late. His ceiling remains sky-high, and games like this are part of the growth process.
Captain Clutch: Cole Certa Stays Perfect at the Line
Cole Certa didn’t light up the scoreboard, but he continued to be automatic at the free-throw line. He hit all five of his attempts on Tuesday, pushing his season total to a perfect 27-for-27. In a game where every point mattered, that kind of reliability was huge.
In a low-scoring slugfest, free throws can swing the outcome - and Certa’s consistency gave Notre Dame a steadying presence in crunch time.
Defensive Identity Taking Shape
Head coach Micah Shrewsberry was quick to point to his team’s defensive effort as the backbone of this win. Since returning from the Christmas break, the Irish have clearly placed an emphasis on guarding with purpose - and it showed.
Stanford shot just 23.2% from the field and an icy 13.2% from three. Notre Dame’s team defense was locked in, with Logan Imes drawing praise for his work on Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie, and the rest of the Irish providing strong help-side support. It wasn’t flashy, but it was effective.
“We are a full-team defense,” Shrewsberry said postgame. “We talk about ‘we versus the ball,’ and I thought our guys really bought into that tonight.”
Box Score Snapshot
- Field Goals: ND 18-56 (32.1%) | STAN 13-56 (23.2%)
- Three-Point FG: ND 3-16 (18.8%) | STAN 4-30 (13.2%)
- Rebounds: ND 48 | STAN 36
- Turnovers: ND 12 | STAN 10
- Assists: ND 6 | STAN 8
Starters
- Notre Dame: Jalen Haralson, Braeden Shrewsberry, Garrett Sundra, Carson Towt, Logan Imes
- Stanford: Benny Gealer, Chisom Okpara, Ryan Agarwal, Ebuka Okorie, AJ Rohosy
Chisom Okpara led Stanford with 13 points, but needed 14 shots to get there - a testament to Notre Dame’s defensive pressure all night.
What’s Next
Notre Dame improves to 10-4 on the season and 1-0 in the ACC. They’ll stay out west to face Cal on January 2nd in a late-night showdown on ESPN2. Stanford, now 11-3 and 0-1 in conference play, will look to bounce back at home against Louisville.
These two teams will meet again on March 4 in South Bend - Senior Day for the Irish - and if Tuesday night was any indication, expect another grind-it-out battle.
Bottom Line:
This wasn’t a highlight-reel win, but it was the kind of game that shows who you are.
Notre Dame didn’t shoot well, didn’t take care of the ball particularly well, but they fought, defended, and rebounded like a team that knows how to win when the shots don’t fall. That’s a foundation worth building on.