The 13th-ranked Duke Blue Devils narrowly defeated Notre Dame 65-63 in Saturday's ACC tournament semifinals in Georgia. Duke overcame a fourth-quarter deficit with crucial defensive stops to advance to Sunday's championship game.
The 13th-ranked Duke Blue Devils advanced to the ACC tournament championship game after edging Notre Dame 65-63 in Saturday’s semifinal matchup in Duluth, Georgia.
Leading scorer Taina Mair contributed 16 points for Duke, while Toby Fournier added 14 points to the effort. Riley Nelson chipped in 10 points, and Delaney Thomas recorded a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds. The Blue Devils (23-8) found themselves down 49-46 entering the final quarter but managed to secure victory through crucial defensive plays in the closing moments.
Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo led all scorers with 24 points, supported by Iyana Moore’s 14-point performance. The fifth-seeded Irish (22-10) had been seeking their third consecutive tournament victory and mounted an impressive comeback from a 13-point deficit to take the lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The game’s decisive moments came in the final minute when Hidalgo connected on a three-pointer with 1:10 remaining, bringing Notre Dame within one point at 64-63. However, the Irish were unable to score again after that basket. Nelson sealed the victory for Duke with a free throw at the 52-second mark, and Notre Dame’s hopes ended when they missed three attempts in the game’s final 12 seconds, including Moore’s desperation shot as time expired.
Duke, the defending tournament champions, will face either Louisville or North Carolina in Sunday afternoon’s title game as they seek back-to-back ACC tournament crowns.
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