Andy Hancock

Men's Basketball

Notre Dame Escapes with 55-54 victory over Pittsburgh in T. Rowe Price ACC Tournament First Round

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Nikita Konstantynovskyi scored with a tip-in in the final minute and Tae Davis hit 1-of-2 free throws with 0.5 seconds left after a foul to help Notre Dame rally for a 55-54 victory over Pittsburgh on Tuesday, March 11, in the first round of the 2025 T. Rowe Price ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament.
 
Tied at 54-all, Notre Dame inbounded the ball with 19.2 seconds left. Markus Burton dribbled down the clock until about five seconds were left and drove to his right for a contested shot that came up short. Davis grabbed the offensive rebound, but his shot rolled off the rim as time expired. A foul was called on Zack Austin trying to prevent the putback attempt and, after a review to see if the buzzer had sounded, Davis made the first of two free throws. He missed the second and Jaland Lowe’s three-quarter-court heave came up short.
 
The 12th-seeded Fighting Irish (15-17) will play No. 5 seed North Carolina in the second round on Wednesday, March 12. The Tar Heels beat the Fighting Irish 74-73 in South Bend, Indiana, in the only matchup during the regular season.
 
Davis had 11 points to lead Notre Dame. Konstantynovskyi totaled 10 points and nine rebounds. Burton had 10 points, four steals and six of the Irish’s 17 turnovers.
 
Lowe scored 17 points on 6-for-18 shooting to lead the 13th-seeded Panthers (17-15). Cameron Corhen also contributed 10 points for Pitt.
 
Konstantynovskyi had six points and five rebounds in the first half to help Notre Dame take a 25-22 lead at the break. Lowe had nine points for Pitt. The Fighting Irish shot 37% from the floor and missed 13-of-16 from 3-point range. The Panthers shot 28.6% and missed 10-of-12 from beyond the arc.
 
Of Note
  • Notre Dame held Pitt scoreless for the first 3:35 of the game, allowing the Fighting Irish to jump out to a 6-0 lead to start the game.
  • The two teams combined for 17 turnovers in the first half with the Fighting Irish turning the ball over 10 times.
  • Both teams shot below 20 percent or worse from behind the three-point line in the first-round matchup.
  • Pitt did not hold a lead until the 14:06 mark of the second half. The two teams combined for 10 lead changes and eight ties.
  • Ishmael Leggett logged three steals for the Panthers, matching Pitt’s fourth-highest single-game total in an ACC Tournament game. It marked Leggett’s eighth career game with three or more steals, including the third time in the last five games.
  • Notre Dame’s Markus Burton, who averages an ACC-leading 22.2 points per game, was held to just two points in the first half. Notre Dame’s star guard finished with 10 points.
  • Notre Dame’s Nikita Konstantynovskyi recorded a season-high in scoring with 10 points.
  • The Fighting Irish improved to 13-9 all-time in the ACC Tournament and 2-1 in tournament games played in Charlotte.