The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men’s basketball team took on the No. 24 ranked Louisville Cardinals in a road battle at the KFC Yum! Center and suffered a 76-65 defeat. The result drops Notre Dame to a disappointing 11-12 on the year and 2-8 in the ACC, while Louisville improves to 16-6 and 6-4 in the ACC. Suffering yet another ACC loss, the Irish have now won only one of their last nine games and sit very near the bottom of the ACC.
In the game against Louisville, the Irish jumped out to a very hot start, getting out to a 10-2 lead and were up 16-7 at one point. As has been the case for the Irish all year, the main cause was of a great start from behind the arc. The Irish started the game 5 for 10 from deep, and five of the first eight made field goals were from behind the arc. The Cardinals came storming back and tied the game up at 16, and the game was played relatively evenly after that point until the Cardinals went on a 7-0 run and finished the first half with a 38-32 lead.
The Irish were able to shoot the ball very well in the first half going 5 for 13 from deep compared to Louisville’s 4 for 17, but the Cardinals made six free throws compared to the Irish only making one. Sophomore guard Cole Certa, junior guard Braeden Shrewsberry and freshman forward Ryder Frost all pitched in threes for the Irish in that first half and their ability to score from behind the arc was the main reason the Irish kept the game close in the first half.
In the second half, Louisville held the lead the entire time, but the Irish played solidly for the first eight minutes of the half, ultimately closing the lead to just three points at different times throughout the second half. After the second media timeout, the Cardinal defense locked in and completely contained the Irish’s main scorers.
In the final 12 minutes of the game, the Irish starters were held to only four field goals, three of those coming with under three minutes left. Irish star freshman guard Jalen Haralson did not convert on a field goal attempt, and the Louisville defense ultimately won them the game as their shooting woes continued into the second half, only shooting 3 for 17 from behind the arc. Another key aspect of the game was each team’s performance from the free throw line as the Cardinals went 13 for 18 compared to the Irish’s 6 for 14 performance. 43% from the charity stripe is not going to get it done, and that played a key role in the Irish’s loss.
Overall, the Cardinals were not getting the shots to fall, but they played phenomenal defense in the second half, won the rebounding battle and converted on their free throw attempts, leading them to a win over the Irish. The scoring for the Cardinals was incredibly balanced with senior guard Isaac McKneely leading the way with 13 points, and four other players scored in double figures for them. Louisville’s ability to spread out the scoring helped them find a win. Sophomore forward Khani Rooths also put together a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, including four on the offensive side, which helped Louisville continue their possessions.
For the Irish, Certa led the way with 18 points, shooting 5 for 14 from deep, and sophomore guard Brady Koehler contributed 11. Graduate student forward Carson Towt had a solid game on the glass with 10 rebounds. But of course, it was not enough for the Irish. They will look to end this slump in their next contest as they return home to take on the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday, Feb. 7.
