Tar Heels Run Notre Dame Off the Floor as Irish Drop Fifth Straight
Notre Dame came into the Dean Smith Center on Wednesday night looking for a lifeline. What they got instead was a harsh dose of reality from a North Carolina team that looked every bit like a top-25 squad with something to prove. The 91-69 loss marks the fifth consecutive defeat for the Fighting Irish, their longest skid since December 2024, and another step backward in a season that’s quickly slipping away.
North Carolina, ranked No. 22, hadn’t exactly been rolling themselves-losers of three of their last four entering the night-but they flipped the switch at home. The Tar Heels played with urgency, rhythm, and the kind of physicality Notre Dame simply couldn’t match.
At one point, ESPN’s broadcast team even joked it looked like Carolina was playing eight-on-five. That may have been hyperbole, but the Irish were clearly outmatched.
Caleb Wilson Leads the Charge
Carolina’s frontcourt set the tone early and never let up. Forward Caleb Wilson was the standout, pouring in 22 points on an ultra-efficient 8-of-11 from the field.
He added seven rebounds and five assists, a stat line that speaks to just how involved he was in every phase of the game. Wilson didn’t force the issue-he let the game come to him-and Notre Dame had no answers.
Wilson wasn’t alone. Guard Derek Dixon and center Henri Veesaar also hit double figures, helping the Tar Heels stretch the lead in the second half and keep it there. Carolina’s balance, ball movement, and defensive intensity overwhelmed a young Irish squad still trying to find its footing.
Notre Dame’s Offense Stalls Again
Notre Dame’s shooting woes continued to be a major storyline. The Irish shot just 36% from the field, missing 48 shots overall-including 17 from deep. After a solid first half from beyond the arc (6-for-12), the bottom fell out in the second half, where they managed just 2-of-13 from three-point range.
Sophomore guard Sir Mohammed came off the bench and gave Notre Dame a spark with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Freshman Jalen Haralson was the only Irish starter to reach double digits, finishing with 13 points and six boards. But outside of those two, the offense struggled to generate clean looks or sustain any real momentum.
Braeden Shrewsberry, who entered the night as the ACC’s top three-point shooter at 42.7%, was held in check. He attempted just three shots from deep, making one, and finished with three points in 27 minutes. North Carolina’s defense keyed in on him, and he rarely found the space he needed to get comfortable.
Shrewsberry: “I’ve Been Too Soft”
After the game, head coach Micah Shrewsberry didn’t sugarcoat anything. He took responsibility for the team’s lack of fight, saying he’s been “too soft” on his players during this losing stretch.
“The dude’s got talent,” Shrewsberry said, referring to his young roster. “But they’ve never been through the wars before.
They’ve never been through the grit and grind. And I got to get as gritty and grinding to be able to come in here and sustain and do what we need to do.”
That’s a telling quote from a coach who knows the road ahead won’t get easier. With injuries piling up-including the loss of preseason All-ACC guard Markus Burton and senior forward Kebba Njie-Shrewsberry has been forced to lean heavily on freshmen and sophomores. And while the effort hasn’t disappeared, the execution clearly has.
A Tale of Two Halves
For a moment, it looked like Notre Dame might hang around. They trailed by just nine at the break, thanks to that early three-point shooting and some timely plays from Haralson and Mohammed.
But the second half was all North Carolina. The Tar Heels opened with a burst, and Notre Dame never recovered.
“We didn’t come out in that manner,” Shrewsberry said of the second-half start. “At the start of the game, at the start of the half, of how important it is, then they try and onslaught you.”
That early second-half run from Carolina was the knockout blow. From there, it was just about limiting the damage-something Notre Dame couldn’t quite do.
Turnovers Down, But Not Enough
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Notre Dame took care of the ball. After averaging 16 turnovers in ACC play, they coughed it up just five times in this one. But that discipline didn’t translate into points, and it certainly didn’t slow down a Carolina team firing on all cylinders.
Injuries Continue to Shape the Season
Since Burton went down with an ankle injury back on Dec. 5, the Irish have gone 3-6. Losing Njie this past week only deepened the challenge, leaving Shrewsberry with limited experience and even fewer options.
“It’s hard. Yeah, it’s frustrating, but I’m telling you, nobody feels sorry for me,” Shrewsberry said.
“So, I can’t feel sorry for myself. Here’s the hand that we’re dealt.
We’re going to play it.”
That’s the mindset he’s trying to instill in his team-resilience in the face of adversity. He made it clear he’s not going anywhere and won’t stop pushing this group to grow.
“I’m not going to quit. I’m never going to quit.
I don’t care what happens. We’re going to turn around.
I’m going to watch this film on the plane. We get ready for practice tomorrow.
We get ready for what happens on Saturday and get these guys ready to turn around and keep fighting.”
Highlight Moments
Despite the loss, there were a few flashes of promise. Haralson had a strong and-one finish in the paint that showed his toughness and body control. Later, Ryder Frost grabbed a defensive rebound and drilled a three on the other end-a sequence that showed the kind of effort and hustle Shrewsberry is still getting from his group.
The Big Picture
Notre Dame is now 10-9 overall and 1-5 in ACC play. They’ve dropped five in a row, and the last four have all come by double digits. That’s not the kind of trend any team wants to be riding midway through conference play.
Only two other teams in the ACC have just one win in the league, and the Irish are now firmly in the bottom tier of the standings. With a young roster, key injuries, and a brutal stretch of games, the margin for error is razor thin.
But for all the frustration, Shrewsberry sees something worth building on.
“They haven’t given up,” he said. “And we have to keep that spirit where it is, that togetherness that they have. We just got to be able to put it into action and games for the longer stretches.”
Notre Dame’s next step? Finding a way to turn that effort into results. Because the fight is still there-but in the ACC, that’s only part of the battle.