Acc Tournament 2026: Duke 65-63 Notre Dame — Irish Seven-Game Run Ends in Semifinal Heartbreaker

The Acc Tournament 2026 semifinal produced a tense finish as top-seeded Duke escaped with a 65-63 victory over No. 5 Notre Dame, ending the Irish seven-game winning streak. The result leaves Notre Dame with an updated season mark of 22-10 after entering the game 22-9, and sends the Blue Devils onward from the conference semifinals held at Gas South Arena.

Acc Tournament 2026: Semifinal recap and game flow

The matchup began with a dominant opening from Duke, which scored the first 10 points in the first four minutes and built an early double-digit advantage. Notre Dame trailed 15-2 with 3: 58 remaining in the first quarter before rallying to cut the gap to four at 15-11 after a 9-0 run. Duke held a 17-11 lead at the first-quarter buzzer.

In the second quarter the Irish clawed closer, using scoring from key contributors to reduce the margin to two at 17-15. Duke pushed the lead back to 10 at one point, then led 38-31 at halftime after scoring the final basket of the half. Notre Dame’s leader in the second quarter kept the team within reach with efficient shooting that helped the comeback attempt stay alive.

Notre Dame’s momentum continued in the third quarter. The Irish opened the period with an eight-point sequence that produced their first lead of the night at 41-40. A string of plays late in the quarter — including a feed for a layup — gave Notre Dame a 49-46 edge heading to the fourth.

The fourth quarter swung back toward Duke, which scored 11 of the first 15 points in the frame to move ahead 57-53 with six minutes remaining. Notre Dame answered with a triple to pull within one and then locked into a tight finish. The two teams matched baskets over a stretch that left the score 64-63 in Duke’s favor with 1: 10 left. A free throw extended the Blue Devils’ lead to two with under a minute to play, and Notre Dame missed three late opportunities to tie or take the lead before time expired.

Key contributors, implications and next steps

Notre Dame’s top performer recorded a game-high 24 points while also contributing eight rebounds, four steals and two assists. Supporting scorers included a 14-point effort and a 10-point contribution that helped keep the Irish competitive throughout. Another contributor hit multiple threes in the third quarter that were central to the run that produced Notre Dame’s lone lead.

The loss halts Notre Dame’s seven-game run and concludes their ACC Tournament semifinal bid. The Irish now await the NCAA Tournament bracket reveal; the selection show is set for 8 p. m. ET on Sunday, March 1. Details about seed lines and the team’s path in the national tournament will be determined there.

Game takeaways and what to watch moving forward

• Early deficit damage: The opening 10-0 swing forced Notre Dame into comeback mode from the outset.
• Resilience in the middle quarters: A strong third-quarter push created a chance, showing the team’s ability to respond under pressure.
• Late-game execution: A key free throw and missed late opportunities ultimately decided the game in a two-point margin.
• Individual impact: The game-high scoring and all-around activity from the leading player underlined a standout performance despite the loss.

For Notre Dame, the semifinal loss is a narrow and painful finish to a run that saw seven consecutive victories into the conference’s final weekend. The focus now shifts to the NCAA bracket reveal and how the Irish will be slotted into the national field following this close ACC semifinal defeat.