Notre Dame Edges Pitt 55-54 in ACC Tournament Opener

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Notre Dame men’s basketball team narrowly defeated the Pittsburgh Panthers 55-54 in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament on March 11, 2025. The dramatic finish included a critical foul call that sent Tae Davis to the free-throw line with just 0.5 seconds left.

With the game tied at 54, Davis was fouled during a scramble for a rebound after a missed shot from teammate Markus Burton. He converted the first of two free throws, securing the win for the Irish, who improved to 15-17 for the season.

Davis led the Irish in scoring with 11 points, going 5-for-6 from the free-throw line. Notably, Nikita Konstantynovskyi contributed significantly with 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds. “I just focus on doing whatever the team needs, and tonight it was to step up,” Konstantynovskyi said after the game.

Markus Burton added 10 points, as well as five rebounds and three assists. The win marked Notre Dame’s first tournament victory of the postseason and extended their streak of close games, as this was the fourth consecutive contest decided by a single possession.

The game started promising for the Irish, who jumped out to an early 11-5 lead, aided by contributions from Konstantynovskyi and Julian Roper II. However, the Irish endured a scoring drought late in the first half, allowing Pitt to narrow the gap and finish the half trailing by just three points, 25-22.

In the second half, the Panthers surged to their first lead of the game at 14:06 with a score of 32-31. The two teams exchanged blows, keeping the score close throughout. Notably, Matt Allocco hit a crucial three-pointer to tie the score at 49-49 with under two minutes remaining.

Pitt’s Jaland Lowe led all scorers with 17 points, but his team struggled with shooting, finishing at 28.6% from the field and hitting 2 of 12 from three-point range.

“We had our chances, but we couldn’t put the ball in the basket when it mattered most,” Lowe said after the game. “We’ve got to regroup and come back stronger.”

Notre Dame will face the fifth-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels in the next round, who previously defeated the Irish 74-73 in the regular season. The matchup is set for 2:30 p.m. ET on March 12, airing on ESPN.

As both teams advance in the ACC Tournament, the tight nature of their performances suggests that fans can expect more excitement in the upcoming rounds.