Markus Burton scores 25 points, Notre Dame turns back late rally by Bellarmine in 86-79 victory

3 hours ago7 min read

In a game that felt like a classic college basketball rollercoaster, freshman phenom Markus Burton put on a show, dropping a cool 25 points to lead Notre Dame to an 86-79 victory over a pesky Bellarmine squad that just refused to quit. The Fighting Irish, now sitting at a promising 4-1, looked like they were about to turn this one into a laugher in the second half, exploding out of the locker room with a 13-1 run that stretched a seven-point halftime lead into a commanding 19-point advantage.For a hot minute there, with the scoreboard reading 50-31 and under 16 minutes left, it seemed like the Knights were just playing out the string. But man, that's why you watch the games.Bellarmine, channeling the never-say-die spirit of a mid-major with everything to prove, started chipping away. The Irish lead ballooned to 22 a couple of times and was still a comfortable 16 with just three and a half minutes on the clock.Then, Michael Wilson Jr. decided to go supernova, scoring eight points in a blistering 10-2 run that suddenly made it a one-possession game, cutting the deficit to 79-72 with a mere 1:40 remaining.The tension in the building was palpable—you could feel the collective 'oh no, not again' from the Notre Dame faithful. Even after a clutch Myles Watkins jumper made it 81-74 with 42 ticks left, the Knights kept coming, clawing back to within five points with just 17 seconds remaining.It was Burton, the cool-headed freshman, who finally iced the game from the charity stripe, capping a night where the Irish were an efficient 23-of-32 from the line. Burton's line was just filthy—10-of-13 from the field, a model of scoring efficiency.He wasn't alone; fellow freshman Jalen Haralson added a solid 16 points, four boards, and five dimes, looking every bit the part of a future star. Down low, Carson Towt was a beast, snagging his fifth straight double-digit rebound game with 12 points and 11 boards, while Cole Certa provided a crucial spark off the bench with 12 points.For Bellarmine, now 1-4, it was a balanced but ultimately heartbreaking effort, with five players combining for 73 points—Brian Waddell leading the way with 18, while Wilson and Jack Karasinski each poured in 17, Watkins had 11, and Kenyon Goodin added 10. The first half was a back-and-forth affair featuring seven ties and six lead changes, with Burton already scorching the nets for 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting as the Irish took a 37-30 lead into the break after shooting a sizzling 60% from the field.The real story, though, was how Notre Dame navigated those final, frantic minutes. It’s the kind of character-building win that can define a young team's season, learning to close out a game when the other team has all the momentum.For head coach Micah Shrewsberry, it’s a mixed bag—you love the explosive offensive potential and the emergence of a go-to scorer in Burton, but you’ve got to be concerned about the late-game execution against a zone defense that nearly stole the game. The schedule doesn't get any easier, as the Irish now head to Las Vegas for the Players Era Championship, where they'll open against No.24 Kansas on Monday—a massive early-season test that will tell us a lot more about whether this team is truly ready for prime time. For now, they'll take the win, learn from the scare, and hope that Burton's heroics are a sign of things to come in what promises to be a thrilling season.

#featured

#Notre Dame Fighting Irish

#Bellarmine Knights

#Markus Burton

#college basketball

#game recap

#AP Top 25