Irish Breakdown

Notre Dame Obliterates Georgia Tech: Key Takeaways

Notre Dame won just its third ACC game of the entire year on Saturday
Nick Shepkowski|
Feb 14, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Carson Towt (33) drives to the basket as Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Akai Fleming (0) defends during the first half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center.
Feb 14, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Carson Towt (33) drives to the basket as Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Akai Fleming (0) defends during the first half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame basketball was in desperate need for a win on Saturday against Georgia Tech and got in following the early tip in South Bend.

The 89-74 victory was largely uncompetitive down the stretch and just what the doctor ordered as Notre Dame looks to rally and make the ACC Tournament in a couple of weeks.

The win moves the Fighting Irish to 12-14 on the year and 3-10 in conference play while the loss makes Georgia Tech 11-15 overall and just 2-11 in the ACC.

It was a must-have for Notre Dame if it hopes to make the ACC Tournament, so those hopes remain alive after one of the best showings by the Irish this season.

With that, here are a few key takeaways from the Notre Dame victory.

Notre Dame Beats Georgia Tech - Key Takeaways

Irish Sharpshooters Huge in Win

Part of it had to do with Georgia Tech's perimiter defense leaving more than a little to be desired, but credit is due to Notre Dame for hitting open shots. The Irish buried 11 three-pointers in the first half and 14 for the game as they shot 50% from beyond the arc.

Cole Certa was on fire, going 7 of 11 from three (37 points total), while Braden Shrewsberry hit four three-pointers on the afternoon while scoring 20 points for the Irish.

Notre Dame Dominates the Glass

In what hasn't been happening much of the ACC portion of the season, Notre Dame was strong on the boards Saturday, outdueling Georgia Tech 36-23 in that department.

Add a 13-5 advantage on offensive boards and you can start to see why Notre Dame led for more than 90% of the contest, and never really let Georgia Tech get close in the second half.

Notre Dame's Scoring Eruption

We spoke about Notre Dame hitting from beyond the arc but the scoring output from Notre Dame was unlike anything we've seen in quite some time from the Fighting Irish. 89 points is the most Notre Dame has scored in an ACC victory since beating Duke at Cameron Indoor Arena on February 9, 2021 (93-89).

This of course all came without star scorer Jalen Haralson, who was out with an ankle injury that he suffered earlier in the week at SMU.

Notre Dame's ACC Tournament Hopes Remain Alive

It's only one win, and it doesn't solve the problems that have been evident all year long but its a win closer to getting Notre Dame to the ACC Tournament at all. The win, for the moment, gives the Irish a half-game lead in the ACC standings over Boston College and Pittsburgh.

Notre Dame returns to action next Saturday at Pittsburgh, in a game that could go a long way in determining if it makes the ACC Tournament or not.

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Nick Shepkowski
NICK SHEPKOWSKI

Managing Editor for Notre Dame On SI. Started covering Chicago sports teams for WSCR the Score, and over the years worked with CBS Radio, Audacy, NBC Sports, and FOX Sports as a contributor before running the Notre Dame wire site for USA TODAY.

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