The race for the top spots in the Atlantic Coast Conference is reaching a fever pitch with only a few games left in the regular season. But it's not just the top teams feeling the pressure. At the bottom of the standings, the battle is just as fierce, with Notre Dame and Pitt fighting to secure a spot in the ACC tournament.
With only 15 out of 18 teams making the cut, every win counts for Notre Dame and Pitt. Saturday's showdown in Pittsburgh is shaping up to be a pivotal clash for both teams' postseason dreams.
Notre Dame, sitting at 12-14 overall and 3-10 in the ACC, comes into this crucial matchup riding the high of an 89-74 victory over Georgia Tech. That win nudged them into 15th place, just a game ahead of both Boston College and Pitt, who are struggling at 9-17 and 2-11 in the conference.
A standout in Notre Dame's recent success is Cole Certa. Despite battling the flu, Certa delivered a career-best performance against Georgia Tech, racking up 37 points and sinking seven three-pointers. His scoring feat ties him for the second-highest points by a Notre Dame player in an ACC game, just behind Markus Burton's 43-point outburst last season.
Certa's determination was evident. "I wasn't going to not play," he said. "We've gone through a lot this year, and the least I can do is give it everything I've got."
Alongside Certa, Braeden Shrewsberry logged all 40 minutes on the court, helping the Fighting Irish break a five-game losing streak. Now, they're eyeing consecutive wins for the first time since December.
Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsberry expressed his pride in the team's resilience. "I'm just proud of these guys and how they've kept competing," he said.
For Pitt, the road has been rocky, with eight losses in their last nine conference games. Their recent challenges include facing four ranked opponents in their last five outings, most recently falling 79-65 to then-No. 11 North Carolina.
"We're just trying to use this week to work on us, to get better," Pitt coach Jeff Capel noted. "Later in the week, we'll start preparing for Notre Dame, but we'll spend the first half really trying to correct some things."
As the ACC season winds down, both teams know the stakes are high, and Saturday's game could be a turning point in their quest for postseason play.