Notre Dame Falls to Boston College, Misses ACC Tournament to End Disappointing Season
It’s over.
The 2025-26 Notre Dame basketball season came to an end Saturday afternoon as the Fighting Irish (13-18, 4-14) fell to Boston College (11-20, 4-14), 77-69.
Micah Shrewsberry’s team needed a win and a Pitt loss to advance to next week’s ACC Tournament, but the Irish failed to make the Panthers’ trip to Syracuse matter.
Fred Payne led the Eagles with 24 points and nine rebounds, while Chase Forte added 14 points for the home team.
Notre Dame lacked effort and intensity for much of the game. The Irish led 33-30 at halftime, but the x-factor was that Boston College failed to hit a field goal over the final nine minutes of the half.
Boston College used two critical 9-0 runs in the second half to turn the tide. The first tied the game at 41, while the second gave the Eagles a 59-53 lead with 6:31 remaining.
Jalen Haralson did his part with 21 points to lead the Irish. The freshman guard scored 16 in the second half, including three and-one layups in the closing minutes that kept Notre Dame within striking distance.
Classmate Brady Koehler finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Braeden Shrewsberry added 14 points and five rebounds.
For the game, Notre Dame shot just 35 percent from the field and was outrebounded 46-37. Boston College also held a massive advantage at the foul line, shooting 31-of-41, while the Irish went 14-of-21.
SAME STORY
Notre Dame failed to handle the small details all season, and Saturday was no different. The Irish showed a lack of hustle and urgency and struggled to play with any sense of pride.
Shrewsberry’s program also showed a lack of discipline in key moments. Koehler was called for back-to-back lane violations, giving Boston College two additional free throws.
Yes, Koehler is a freshman, but this was the final regular-season game. At this stage of the season, mistakes like that simply can’t happen.
Former Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly emphasized attention to detail. Shrewsberry’s program continues to show very little of it. In fact, Shrewsberry acknowledged as much after the loss to Stanford earlier in the week, when his team failed to double-team a player on three consecutive possessions in the final minutes.
It’s one thing not to have the most talented roster, but the larger issue surrounding Notre Dame basketball right now is the lack of culture.
Three years into the Shrewsberry era, the Irish still lack a clear identity. The program has yet to consistently display any traits of a winning program.
Shrewsberry can certainly build around Markus Burton, Haralson, Koehler, Braeden Shrewsberry and Cole Certa.
But the biggest question heading into the offseason remains simple: Can he build a winning culture?
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