NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Hot first-half shooting was not enough as Virginia Tech fell to Notre Dame, 74-66, for its third straight ACC loss Saturday night inside Purcell Pavilion.
The first of two regular-season matchups between the Hokies and the Irish was an up and down contest. Tech (13-10, 5-7) squandered a second half lead behind 54.2% shooting by Notre Dame in the second 20 minutes. ND improved to (8-16, 3-10) after holding the Hokies to 15.4% (2-13) shooting from three in the second stanza.
Hunter Cattoor led all scorers with 18 points. Mylyjael Poteat (14) and Sean Pedulla (13) put in double-digit scoring performances as well. Tyler Nickel added nine while Robbie Beran added eight and a career-high 13 rebounds.
Markus Burton led the Irish with 16 points and eight assists, sinking a perfect 4-4 from the charity stripe. Braeden Shrewsberry added 12 on an efficient 4-6 shooting from 3-point range.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Three straight 3-pointers from Robbie Beran, Hunter Cattoor, and Sean Pedulla gave the Hokies an early 9-4 lead. Beran scored Tech's first basket for the second straight game.
- Tyler Nickel's first basket, a 3-pointer, made the Hokies' lead 17-13 with 13 minutes to go in the first half. Tech started a scorching hot 5-6 from 3-point range.
- Beran's layup gave Tech back the lead at 25-24. Nickel's personal 6-0 run followed by an MJ Collins layup extended the Hokies' lead to six at 36-30. Three minutes remained in the first frame.
- Tech ended the half on an 11-5 run and took a 39-35 lead into the break. The Hokies' 6-11 shooting (54%) from 3-point range helped them earn the lead.
- Lynn Kidd broke a 12-0 Notre Dame run to score Tech's first basket three minutes into the second half. Cattoor followed with a 3-pointer to knot the game at 44-44.
- Back-to-back Mylyjael Poteat baskets tied the game at 49-49 with 11 minutes left. Poteat broke another 7-0 Irish run to put the Hokies within six. Cattoor's 3-pointer put Tech back within eight. A little under two minutes remained in the contest.
- Pedulla's layup cut the ND lead to seven with under a minute to go. Notre Dame defeated the Hokies in South Bend, 74-66.
NOTES
- Tonight marks the first loss against Notre Dame in the last seven games. Tech's six-game winning streak was the longest active winning streak for the Hokies against an ACC opponent.
- Tech is now 4-5 all time in South Bend. This was its first loss to the Irish since March 7, 2020.
- Robbie Beran grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds Saturday night.
Gallery: (2-10-2024) MBB: at Notre Dame
UP NEXT
- Tech returns to Cassell Coliseum for Tuesday's clash with Florida State at 9 p.m. on ESPNU.