Notre Dame Basketball Falters Late in 76-65 Loss to No. 24 Louisville
Isaac McKneely scored 20 points and No. 24 Louisville used a decisive second-half surge to pull away from Notre Dame for a 76-65 victory on Wednesday night.
Notre Dame started the game off hot as the visiting Irish took a 10-2 lead five minutes into the game.
It didn’t get too much better for Micah Shrewsberry’s team from there.
The Fighting Irish surrendered a 9-0 run that allowed the Cardinals to tie the game at 16, and then the all-too-familiar backbreaking stretch came just before halftime. Louisville rattled off a quick 7-0 run in 53 seconds to take a 37-28 lead with just over a minute remaining in the opening half.
In the second half, Louisville carried just under a 10-point lead, while Notre Dame chipped away, only to get hit with another mini-run.
Freshman Brady Koehler converted a layup with 9:29 left to cut the Louisville lead to 57-53. That would be as close as the Irish would get.
The Cardinals responded with a crushing 16-1 run over the next 7:05. Notre Dame went five full minutes without a field goal, managing just a single free throw during the stretch.
Cole Certa led the Irish with 18 points and three rebounds. Koehler added 11 points, four rebounds, four steals, and two blocks, while Jalen Haralson, Braeden Shrewsberry, and Sir Mohammed each finished with eight points.
Louisville dominated the glass, 46-35, despite 10 rebounds from Carson Towt, and held a commanding 40-22 edge in the paint. The Cardinals also outscored Notre Dame 12-0 in fastbreak points.
Sanada Fru and Khani Rooths scored 12 points each for the Cardinals.
SAME OLD STORY
Without Markus Burton, Notre Dame has struggled to consistently find offense if the three doesn’t fall. The Irish shot a more than respectable 11-of-27 from three, but the shot selection was poor all night.
Now, Notre Dame wasn’t going to get much inside with Louisville’s athleticism and length, so Certa and Shrewsberry had the green light. Certa finished 5-of-14 from there, while Shrewsberry went 2-of-4, but just 3-of-11 from the field.
The Irish struggled to finish at the rim by going 8-of-17 on layups.
Freshman Jalen Haralson wasn’t nearly as aggressive as usual, likely due to Louisville’s defensive pressure. He finished 3-of-9 from the field with seven rebounds.
For Notre Dame to win games, Haralson has to score. It’s a heavy burden for a freshman, but that’s the reality for the blue and gold right now.
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES....AGAIN
Notre Dame also failed to convert on opportunities once again. There is little room for error with this roster and the Irish failed to take advantage of Louisville’s cold shooting.
At one point, slightly before and during Louisville’s 16-1 run in the second half, the Cardinals were just 1-of-12 from the field. Notre Dame has to find ways to score in those situations.
The Irish saw a four-point deficit explode to 19 during those seven minutes with Louisville missing shots.
Notre Dame was also assessed a technical foul in the first half for not having big man Matthew MacLellan in the scorer’s book to start the game.
It comes down to finding ways to win. Notre Dame isn’t going to win shooting 6-of-14 from the free-throw line. The Irish also gave up 16 offensive rebounds on the night. Combine all that with zero fastbreak points and it’s not a recipe for success. It’s a major reason Shrewsberry hasn’t beaten a Top 25 team in his three seasons in South Bend, as finding ways to lose games has become a program trend.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame will host Florida State on The CW for a 4:00 PM ET tip on Saturday afternoon.
Want the latest scoop on the Fighting Irish? Sign up for our newsletter and become an ISD Premium Subscriber: Sign Up for ISD
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Stepping Stone
