SOUTH BEND, Ind. (Interstat) — In a game defined by defensive pressure and offensive execution, the Miami Hurricanes used a dominant second-half performance to pull away from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for an 81-69 victory in Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball on Tuesday night at a subdued Joyce Athletic Center.

The game, played before a crowd of 5,278, was a tale of two halves. Both teams entered the locker room knotted at 39, but the Hurricanes (15-2, 3-1 ACC) emerged with a renewed defensive intensity that the Irish (10-7, 1-3) could not withstand. Miami outscored Notre Dame 42-30 after halftime, fueled by a relentless attack that generated 13 steals and forced 18 Irish turnovers, which they converted into 23 points.

The most important part of the game was a decisive 12-2 run by Miami early in the second half that broke the tie and established a lead the Irish would never seriously threaten. It began with a driving layup by Tre Donaldson just over a minute into the period and was capped by another Donaldson layup and a transition bucket from Shelton Henderson, forcing a Notre Dame timeout less than two minutes in. That burst set the tone, as Miami’s defense tightened, holding Notre Dame to just 30 second-half points on 39.3% shooting from the field.

Donaldson, Miami’s dynamic guard, was the catalyst, finishing with a game-high 23 points and five assists in 37 minutes. He consistently broke down the Notre Dame defense, either scoring at the rim or creating for others. He was supported by a powerful inside-outside duo in Malik Reneau and Henderson, who each scored 17 points. Reneau added nine rebounds, four steals and a block, while Henderson’s efficiency and defensive versatility were crucial.

Notre Dame was led by Jalen Haralson’s 18 points, though he committed six of his team’s turnovers. Sir Mohammed provided a spark off the bench with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting in just 12 minutes, but the Irish’s offensive structure crumbled under Miami’s pressure. Notre Dame managed only four assists against its 18 turnovers, a telling statistic that underscored its disjointed attack.

The Hurricanes, who entered as a 2.5-point favorite despite statistical models favoring the Irish, won their third straight conference game. They shot 50% from the field (29 of 58) and were an efficient 17 of 21 from the free-throw line. While they struggled from beyond the arc, making only 6 of 22, their ability to score in the paint and capitalize on Notre Dame’s mistakes proved decisive.

Notre Dame, which has lost three of its last four, won the battle on the offensive glass 12-5 but could not overcome its carelessness with the ball or Miami’s superior offensive flow, evidenced by the Hurricanes’ 13 assists. The Irish also shot just 12 of 18 from the foul line.

The victory continues a strong start to ACC play for Miami, which next travels to face Clemson on Saturday. Notre Dame looks to regroup on the road at Virginia Tech, also on Saturday.