SOUTH BEND, Ind. – It was a rollercoaster of a game as the Notre Dame men’s basketball team (11-10, 2-6) battled No. 17 Virginia (17-3, 6-2) into two overtimes. The game saw the Fighting Irish build a 19-point first-half lead, fall into a four-point deficit in the second half, battle back to go up six points with two minutes remaining, had a shot at the end of regulation to walk it off, and then was one defensive stand away at the end of the first overtime. Unfortunately, when the dust settled and the smoke cleared, it was Virginia who emerged with the 100-97 2OT victory.
Cole Certa went off with a career high 34 points on 10-19 shooting from the floor, 5-13 from three and 9-11 from the free-throw line. Certa’s 34 points are the most by a Notre Dame player against an AP-ranked team since Nov. 26, 2008, when Kyle McAlarney scored 39 in a loss to No. 1 UNC.
Tonight also witnessed a tremendous showing from freshman Brady Koehler. The 6-10 forward out of Fishers, Indiana, dropped his first career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Koehler also recorded a season-high three steals and season-high tying four blocks.
“Not into moral victories, but we are about the process. We are about using every opportunity to learn and get better,” Glenn & Stacey Murphy Head Coach Micah Shrewsberry said. “These dudes keep coming, keep fighting, keep competing and try to play their best basketball as the season goes on. I wanted this so bad for them with how hard they’re working. They put it out there, all on the line, against a really good team.”
Jalen Haralson notched his fourth game of 20 or more points, his first in an ACC contest. The freshman earned 20 points on 6-11 shooting, 8-10 from the stripe, plus seven assists. Braeden Shrewsberry was the fourth and final Irish in double figures, supplying 18 points with a 5-9 effort from three, plus four assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Irish had the hot hand to start as they were an easy 3-for-3 from deep, with two coming from Shrewsberry in the first 4:30 of play to put the Irish up 10-7 heading into the first media timeout.
Shrewsberry knocked down his third three of the night and converted for a four-point play on the and-one, followed by a tough finish at the rim for nine straight points from the junior. With 12 points already on the night, Shrewsberry was outscoring the Cavaliers in the first 6:30 of play.
The Irish run continued, outscoring Virginia 17-4 over a seven-minute period. While the Cavaliers cut it to 13 at 6:59, Certa drained back-to-back triples to give Notre Dame their largest lead of the half, up 19 at 39-20.
Searching for a run of their own, Virginia chipped away as they outscored the Irish 15-6 in the final six minutes of play, but the Irish led 44-35 at the half.
It was all Shrewsberry and Certa in the first half as the duo combined for 30 points in the half with 15 points a piece. Shrewsberry was a perfect 4-4 from three, with Certa right behind him as he shot 3-5 from behind the arc.
Certa & Shrewsberry were the first pair of Notre Dame teammates with 15 points in a first half since March 4, 2020, against Florida State (Prentiss Hubb & John Mooney).
The Irish shot 57.7 percent from the floor, converting on 15-26, and an impressive 61.5 percent from three, shooting 8-13 from deep.
Virginia was held to 48 percent from the floor and 25 percent from three, shooting just 3-12 from behind the arc. The Cavaliers had only trailed once prior this season, as they trailed against Butler at the half earlier this season, where they eventually fell 80-73.
Virginia outscored Notre Dame 22-10 to start the second half, which included a 17-2 run over 6:45 to reclaim the lead at 57-54 with 8:20 remaining. Notre Dame started cold from the field, converting just 3-15 to start the half.
Free throws would be the key to keeping the Irish in the game in the second half. While they only knocked down four field goals in the final 7:46 of play, the Irish went a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line.
While the Irish trailed 71-70 with 47 seconds left, Certa knocked down a massive three to put the Irish up 73-71 with 30 seconds remaining. Virginia, however, would knock down a pair of free three throws to tie it up, and while the Irish were able to get a shot off, it would head into overtime.
The five-minute overtime period was back-and-forth, but the Irish never trailed and couldn’t extend the lead beyond four points.
With the Irish up three, the Cavaliers would hit a heavily contested three with three seconds remaining to tie it up yet again to send it into the second overtime period.
The squads traded buckets until a Cavalier free throw tied it up at 93-all with 1:11 left. The Irish continued to battle, but Virginia maintained the lead in the closing minute. Haralson had one last finish at the rim with a second on the clock, but Notre Dame would ultimately fall just short at 100-97 in the double-overtime battle against No. 17 Virginia.
UP NEXT
It’ll be two straight road contests for Notre Dame, starting with Syracuse on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 6 p.m. ET on the CW. Radio coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. ET on the Notre Dame Radio Network, heard in South Bend on Sports Radio WSBT. Then, the Irish will make the short trek south to Louisville on Wednesday, Feb. 4, with that match tipping off at 7 p.m. on either ESPN2/U.
