SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Tobi Lawal recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Brandon Rechsteiner made key free throws in the closing seconds as Virginia Tech secured a thrilling 65-63 victory over Notre Dame on Saturday.

Lawal pushed the Hokies ahead 55-54 with a dunk off an offensive rebound with just over three minutes left in the game, marking Virginia Tech’s first lead since the very start. Shortly after, Ben Burnham extended the lead further to 58-54 with a three-pointer.

In the final moments, Rechsteiner’s clutch shooting proved pivotal. With 32 seconds remaining, he converted one of his two free throw attempts but managed to secure an offensive rebound after missing the second. Then, he was fouled again with 27 seconds left and successfully hit both free throws, giving Virginia Tech a 61-56 advantage. Rechsteiner added four more free throws down the stretch, including two that established a 65-61 lead with just four seconds on the clock. Notre Dame’s Cole Certa managed a tip-in at the buzzer, rounding out the score.

Despite the Fighting Irish entering halftime with a seven-point cushion, their second half was a struggle, hitting only six baskets in the first 19 minutes and concluding the half with an 8-for-28 shooting performance.

Marcus Burton led Notre Dame with 23 points, while Tae Davis contributed 18 points to the scoreboard. For Virginia Tech, Rechsteiner ended up with 12 points, and Burnham added 10, both as key contributors off the bench.

The Fighting Irish initially surged ahead with an 18-6 lead but faced a slump, only managing two buckets in a six-minute stretch, allowing their lead to narrow to 25-23. However, Burton righted the ship, scoring six of Notre Dame’s last eight points in the half, and they went into the locker room ahead 33-26.

Looking ahead, Notre Dame is set to face Boston College on Wednesday, while Virginia Tech will host Virginia on Saturday.