Notre Dame Fighting Irish Hang On To Beat Rutgers Scarlet Knights At Players Era Festival

After getting thoroughly embarrassed by Tennessee just a day earlier, the Scarlet Knights put up more of a fight against Notre Dame on Tuesday but ultimately dropped another one, 68-63, in the Players Era Festival.

Let’s be honest, the first half was a basketball horror show. For a brutal 16-minute stretch, Rutgers looked like they’d never seen a basketball before. Notre Dame wasn’t just beating them; they were systematically dismantling them. The Irish hit as many shots (13) as Rutgers had points. You read that right. The Knights turned the ball over more times than they made a basket. At one point, they scored a measly four points in 10 minutes.

A Tale Of Two Halves, Same Disappointing Ending

Just when you were ready to write them off completely and start scouting for the 2026 season, Rutgers decided to wake up. Sparked by a heroic effort from Jamichael Davis, who went nuclear with 21 points and five three-pointers, the Knights clawed their way back. Dylan Grant chipped in with a solid 15 points of his own. Together, they dragged their team kicking and screaming out of an 18-point hole, cutting the deficit to just five. For a fleeting moment, it looked like we might have a miracle in the making.

But basketball is a team sport, and apparently, no one else got the memo. The rest of the Rutgers roster shot a combined 8-for-31. That’s not a typo.

Notre Dame Seals the Deal

Every time Rutgers threw a punch, Notre Dame had an answer. The Irish weren’t spectacular, but they were steady, and that’s all they needed to be. They dominated the paint, outscoring the Knights 36-16 down low, and capitalized on every sloppy Rutgers turnover.

When the clock ticked down and the game was on the line, Rutgers went cold. They missed their last four shots, and the comeback dream died a quiet death on the MGM Grand Garden Arena floor. So, Rutgers leaves Las Vegas 0-2, destined for a Thanksgiving Day game in the loser’s bracket. It is a bitter pill to swallow, but at least they showed a pulse. A faint, irregular pulse, but a pulse nonetheless. Now, the question is whether they can turn that flicker of life into a sustained fire before this season spirals completely out of control.