Taking advantage of home games against title contenders is a surefire way to remain in the ACC championship picture, and that is exactly what the No. 23 Notre Dame Fighting Irish did on Wednesday.
Notre Dame used a strong finish to beat the No. 9 Louisville Cardinals, 77-70, and move to 13-2 overall and 2-0 in ACC play. The Cardinals dropped to 12-3 overall and 0-2 in the conference but can at least put a daunting four-game stretch against Kentucky, Virginia, Indiana and Notre Dame in the rearview mirror.
Wednesday's ACC showdown was tied at 68 with less than two minutes left, but Notre Dame hit seven critical free throws from there and locked down on the defensive side to close with a 9-2 run.