- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Notre Dame's NCAA Tournament Hopes Fade After Loss to Pitt
Fighting Irish fall to 12-15 overall, 3-11 in ACC play after late collapse against Panthers
Published on Feb. 21, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
Notre Dame's men's basketball team suffered a 73-68 loss to the Pitt Panthers, putting their postseason hopes in jeopardy. The Fighting Irish rallied to briefly take the lead in the second half, but a 15-3 run by Pitt in the final minutes sealed the victory for the home team. The loss drops Notre Dame to 12-15 overall and 3-11 in ACC play, leaving them on the edge of qualifying for the 15-team ACC Tournament.
Why it matters
With their NCAA Tournament hopes all but dashed, Notre Dame is now fighting just to make the ACC Tournament field. The loss to the struggling Panthers gives Pitt the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage, making it even more difficult for the Fighting Irish to secure one of the final spots in the conference tournament.
The details
Notre Dame's offense struggled in the first half, scoring just 20 points, but came alive in the second half with 48 points. However, the Irish were undone by poor free throw shooting, turnovers, and Pitt's hot 3-point shooting. The Panthers hit 11 threes and converted 18-of-27 free throws, while Notre Dame was just 7-of-14 from the line. A 15-3 Pitt run in the final minutes put the game out of reach for the Fighting Irish.
- Notre Dame briefly led 49-48 with less than 7 minutes to play.
The players
Micah Shrewsberry
The head coach of the Notre Dame men's basketball team.
Cole Certa
A Notre Dame guard who led the team in scoring with 16 points.
Roman Siulepa
A Pitt forward who led all scorers with 22 points, including two late-game dunks that sealed the victory for the Panthers.
What’s next
The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.
The takeaway
This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.
