The Notre Dame men's basketball team fell short in a closely contested game against SMU, losing 81-89 at Moody Coliseum. The Fighting Irish (11-14, 2-10) rallied from a 10-point deficit to take a brief lead, but SMU (17-7, 6-5) answered with a decisive 19-2 run. Despite Notre Dame's strong shooting performance, they struggled with rebounding, allowing SMU to dominate in second-chance points. Jalen Haralson led the Irish with 23 points, supported by strong contributions from his teammates.

By the Numbers
  • Notre Dame shot 53.4% from the field (31-58).
  • SMU shot 52.5% from the field (32-61) and had a 38-26 advantage in rebounds.
State of Play
  • Both teams started strong, with SMU leading early and Notre Dame making multiple comebacks.
  • Irish shot 50% in the first half and were competitive but struggled defensively against SMU's size.
What's Next

Notre Dame will look to bounce back in their upcoming Valentine's Day matchup against Georgia Tech, aiming to improve their conference record.

Bottom Line

The Fighting Irish need to address their rebounding issues and find consistent scoring to turn close games into victories. Effective adjustments will be crucial in their next outings to salvage the season.