Duke Hands Notre Dame Basketball Historic 44-Point Loss

The Fighting Irish suffered their second-largest home defeat in 128 years against the top-ranked Blue Devils.

Feb. 25, 2026 at 5:40am

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The No. 1 Duke Blue Devils dominated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend, handing them a historic 44-point defeat - the second-largest home loss in Notre Dame's program history and largest in 128 years. Duke's Cameron Boozer nearly outscored Notre Dame by himself in the first half, finishing with 24 points, 13 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists. The Blue Devils shot 34-for-38 from the free-throw line, while Notre Dame struggled at just 11-for-19.

Why it matters

This lopsided loss highlights the wide gap between the top-ranked Duke team and the struggling Notre Dame squad, which is now 12-16 overall and just 3-12 in ACC play. The historic nature of the defeat raises questions about Notre Dame's ability to turn their season around and potentially earn a March Madness berth, with their only path likely through winning the ACC Tournament.

The details

Notre Dame shot just 37% from the field and turned the ball over 15 times, which Duke converted into 23 points. The Fighting Irish also struggled from 3-point range, going 7-for-26. Meanwhile, Boozer dominated for Duke, pouring in 20 of his 22 points in the first half and finishing with 24 points, 13 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists. The Blue Devils made the most of their trips to the free-throw line, going 34-for-38.

  • The game took place on Tuesday, February 25, 2026 in South Bend, Indiana.

The players

Cameron Boozer

A standout player for the Duke Blue Devils, Boozer nearly outscored Notre Dame by himself in the first half and finished with 24 points, 13 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists.

Brady Koehler

One of the leading scorers for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Koehler scored 14 points in the lopsided loss.

Cole Certa

Also a top scorer for Notre Dame, Certa matched Koehler with 14 points in the defeat.

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What’s next

Notre Dame's only path to the NCAA Tournament now appears to be winning the ACC Tournament, as their regular season record of 12-16 overall and 3-12 in conference play likely won't be enough to earn an at-large bid.

The takeaway

This historic defeat underscores the gulf between the top-ranked Duke Blue Devils and the struggling Notre Dame Fighting Irish. While Duke continues to assert its dominance, Notre Dame faces an uphill battle to salvage their season and potentially earn a March Madness berth through the conference tournament.