ACC tournament roundup: Duke squeaks past Notre Dame in semis
Mar 7, 2026; Duluth, GA, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Taina Mair (22) celebrates after a victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Taina Mair scored 16 points and No. 13 Duke pulled out a 65-63 victory against Notre Dame in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament semifinals Saturday at Duluth, Ga.
The Blue Devils, who also received 14 points from Toby Fournier, 10 points from Riley Nelson and nine points and 10 rebounds from Delaney Thomas, needed late-game defensive stops to hang on after trailing 49-46 going to the fourth quarter. Duke (23-8), bidding for a tournament repeat, will meet either Louisville or North Carolina in Sunday afternoon's championship game.
Hannah Hidalgo poured in 24 points and Iyana Moore racked up 14 points for fifth-seeded Notre Dame (22-10), which was attempting to win for a third day in a row. The Irish overcame a 13-point deficit to lead going to the fourth quarter.
After Hidalgo's 3-pointer with 1:10 left to pull Notre Dame within 64-63, the Irish didn't score again. Nelson's free throw at the 52-second mark was the final point before the Irish missed on three shots in the final 12 seconds, including Moore's launch at the buzzer.
--Field Level Media
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