In a thrilling matchup, Notre Dame managed to edge out Stanford with a late-game surge, securing a 56-54 victory. The decisive moment came when Cole Certa sank a vital 3-pointer with just 18 seconds left on the clock, reversing a narrow Stanford lead. Earlier, Notre Dame found themselves trailing 54-52. Tae Davis managed to chip away at that lead by converting one of two free throws, shrinking the deficit to a single point.
Stanford then missed an opportunity to extend their lead when Oziyah Sellers’ turnaround jumper failed to score, and Matt Allocco of Notre Dame capitalized by grabbing the rebound. Following a strategic timeout, Certa’s pivotal 3-pointer put Notre Dame ahead, and Stanford’s Ryan Agarwal missed a potential game-tying jumper as time expired.
Markus Burton was a standout performer for Notre Dame, scoring 24 points and being the only player from his team to reach double figures. Meanwhile, on the Stanford side, Maxime Raynaud delivered an impressive performance with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Jaylen Blakes contributed 13 points to the Cardinal’s effort, while Benny Gealer added 11 points.
The game witnessed Notre Dame rallying from a 46-37 deficit with less than nine minutes to play by orchestrating a formidable 15-0 scoring run. This streak handed the Fighting Irish their first lead since the first half. Burton was instrumental during this period, scoring the final six points of the run, setting the score at 52-46 with just over three minutes remaining.
Stanford staged a brief comeback after a six-minute scoreless stint, regaining the lead with scoring efforts from Raynaud, Agarwal, and Blakes. However, their momentum faltered in the final minute.
In the opening half, Raynaud’s impact was evident with 10 points and eight rebounds, helping Stanford to a 24-21 halftime advantage. They overturned an early deficit with contributions from Gealer’s back-to-back 3-pointers and Raynaud’s four points.
Looking ahead, Stanford has secured a bye in the opening round of the ACC Tournament and is set to conclude its regular season with a game against No. 14 Louisville on Saturday. Meanwhile, Notre Dame will wrap up its season with a home game against California.
