Following two lackluster defeats against the Louisville Cardinals and the SMU Mustangs, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were tasked with finding their footing Saturday afternoon with the Pittsburgh Panthers in town. Braeden Shrewsberry and Matt Allocco were ruled out before the game, which were big blows to an offense that is often starved for spacing. However, their absence enabled Notre Dame to upgrade their defensive lineup, which proved very valuable as the Irish turned in an out-of-nowhere inspired effort in grinding out a win in what was a thoroughly entertaining game.
Notre Dame 76, Pittsburgh 72: A Certa-fied clutch effort
