Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ California Golden Bears
Dai Dai Ames' four-point play in final seconds lifts Cal to 72-71 victory over Notre Dame
BERKELEY, Calif. -- — Dai Dai Ames had a four-point play with five seconds left, scoring 18 of his 23 points in the second half to rally California to a 72-71 victory over Notre Dame on Friday night.
Ames' heroics also included a 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining that cut Notre Dame's lead to 69-68. The junior made 9 of 16 shots — 4 of 9 from beyond the arc.
Chris Bell had 15 points and Justin Pippen scored 14 for the Golden Bears (13-2, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference). Lee Dort had 11 rebounds.
Braeden Shrewsberry sank five 3-pointers and scored 21 to pace the Fighting Irish (10-5, 1-1). Shrewsberry was 6 for 6 at the free-throw line, while his teammates made 10 of 20. Jalen Haralson had 17 points and Cole Certa made three 3-pointers and scored 16 off the bench. Carson Towt had 15 rebounds to go with eight points.
Certa hit a 3-pointer to give the Fighting Irish their largest lead at 25-13 with 8:36 left before halftime. Semetri Carr's only basket of the half was a 3-pointer with two seconds left, cutting the Golden Bears' deficit to 31-27 at the break.
Pippen hit a 3-pointer to finish a 17-11 run at the start of the second half and Cal moved ahead 44-42 — its first lead since 5-2 — with 14:13 left to play.
The Bears played with a lead until Certa hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Irish a 65-63 lead with 3:10 remaining.
The Irish beat the visiting Bears 112-110 in four overtimes in March — their first matchup as ACC rivals.
California: At No. 21 Virginia on Wednesday.
Notre Dame: Hosts Clemson on Jan. 10.
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Game Information
Berkeley, CA

Referee:Rick Crawford
Referee:Tommy Morrissey
Referee:Adam Flore

2025-26 Standings
| Atlantic Coast ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 12-1 | - | 23-2 |
| Virginia | 10-2 | 1.5 | 22-3 |
| Clemson | 10-3 | 2 | 20-6 |
| Miami | 9-3 | 2.5 | 20-5 |
| NC State | 9-4 | 3 | 18-8 |
| North Carolina | 8-4 | 3.5 | 20-5 |
| Louisville | 8-4 | 3.5 | 19-6 |
| SMU | 6-6 | 5.5 | 17-8 |
| California | 6-7 | 6 | 18-8 |
| Virginia Tech | 6-7 | 6 | 17-9 |
| Syracuse | 6-7 | 6 | 15-11 |
| Florida State | 5-7 | 6.5 | 12-13 |
| Stanford | 5-8 | 7 | 16-10 |
| Wake Forest | 4-8 | 7.5 | 13-12 |
| Notre Dame | 3-10 | 9 | 12-14 |
| Boston College | 2-10 | 9.5 | 9-16 |
| Georgia Tech | 2-11 | 10 | 11-15 |
| Pittsburgh | 2-11 | 10 | 9-17 |
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