Notre Dame Basketball Suffers Overtime Heartbreak Against Rutgers, Loses Burton to Injury

Irish Men's Hoops battled all night, but ultimately came up short against Rutgers on Tuesday night in Las Vegas

Nov 26, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Tae Davis (7) drives against Rutgers Scarlet Knights Zach Martini (99) in the second half at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey (Tyge) O'Donnell-Imagn Images / Jeffrey (Tyge) O'Donnell-Imagn Images

The Players Era Festival in Las Vegas was always going to be a tough challenge for Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish were slated to face Rutgers and Houston, with a third game against an opponent to be determined after Wednesday's matchups. Things got even more difficult early in their game against Rutgers on Tuesday night.

Markus Burton, a pre-season First-Team ACC selection and sophomore guard, drove to the rim and made a tough shot. However, as he fell to the court, a Rutgers player landed directly on his knee. Burton was unable to return to the game, leaving Notre Dame without their star player for the remaining 42 minutes of play.

Despite the setback, Head Coach Micah Shrewsberry's squad showed remarkable resilience. Players were forced into unfamiliar roles and stepped up to the challenge. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, as the Irish fell in a hard-fought overtime battle, 85-84.

Rutgers' freshman sensation, Dylan Harper, a projected top-five pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, was the standout performer for the Scarlet Knights. The 6-6 guard exploded for 32 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, proving to be too much for Notre Dame to contain.

fought until the end #GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/Kk8avmHWLc

— Notre Dame Men's Basketball (@NDmbb) November 27, 2024

Notre Dame vs Rutgers Game Recap

There were several moments during Tuesday night’s game when it felt like Notre Dame might pull out the win. The Irish started strong, building an early lead largely thanks to Braeden Shrewsberry’s 12 first half points. Rutgers made a push late in the half, trimming Notre Dame's lead to just one before the break.

Rutgers’ length and athleticism posed problems for the Irish throughout the game, but Notre Dame kept finding open looks with patience, taking advantage of the opportunities created by players stepping into expanded roles.

When Markus Burton went down early in the first half, Coach Micah Shrewsberry turned to sophomore guard Logan Imes. Before Tuesday's game, Imes had averaged no more than 15 minutes per contest and didn’t see any action in Notre Dame's loss to Elon last week. In this game, however, he logged 35 minutes, alternating with Matt Allocco as the primary ballhandler. Imes finished with 8 points on 3-of-7 shooting (2-of-4 from beyond the arc) and proved he could handle an increased role moving forward.

Graduate senior Burke Chebuhar also saw his minutes rise on Tuesday and continues to make the most of his opportunities. Playing 19 minutes—up from his previous high of 13—he contributed 11 points and 7 rebounds, including 9 points from three-point range (3-of-6).

It was a back-and-forth battle all night, with neither team able to create enough separation. Notre Dame led 62-56 with 7:08 remaining after back-to-back threes from Imes and Chebuhar, but Rutgers responded quickly with a 9-0 run, regaining the lead at 65-62. The Irish went nearly five minutes without scoring during this stretch.

From that point on, it was the Matt Allocco show. The graduate transfer from Princeton finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. 14 of his 24 points came in the final 1:26 of regulation onward. He nailed a game-tying three-pointer with 7 seconds left to force overtime, then nearly willed the Irish to victory, draining three consecutive three-pointers late in overtime when Notre Dame was already in foul mode.

MATT ALLOCCO THREE STRAIGHT THREES#GoIrish☘️

— Notre Dame Men's Basketball (@NDmbb) November 27, 2024

Unfortunately, after his final three-pointer tied the game again with 15 seconds left, Notre Dame freshman guard Cole Certa—who had been inserted into the game after Imes and Julian Roper II fouled out—was called for an intentional foul on Rutgers’ Dylan Harper, sending him to the free-throw line. Harper made 1 of 2, giving the Scarlet Knights a one-point lead. Shrewsberry called a timeout with just under 4 seconds remaining to set up a play for Allocco, who got a decent look but barely missed.

Honestly, everyone inside MGM Garden Arena, packed with Rutgers fans, thought it was going in.

Bouncing Back Quickly

Notre Dame won’t have much time to dwell on this tough loss, as they face off against No. 6 Houston tonight at 12:30 AM ET (9:30 PM local). Houston also lost in overtime to Alabama on Tuesday, so the winner of this matchup will secure the 2 or 3 seed, depending on tiebreakers. The loser will fall to the 4 seed and play the early game on Saturday.

In the post-game press conference, Coach Shrewsberry, though somewhat subdued, expressed confidence in his team. When asked about the foul on Cole Certa, he quickly shifted the focus to two crucial turnovers that allowed Notre Dame to fall behind by 6 with less than a minute remaining. He emphasized the team’s toughness, stating that while they may not be the most talented squad in the country, no one will outwork them.

As of now, there is no update on Markus Burton’s status, but the expectation is that he will be out for the remainder of the tournament.

Tune in for another late night of action. Notre Dame on SI will have you covered from inside MGM Garden Arena.