February 28, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) plays during the first half against the Southern Methodist University Mustangs at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Stanford will look for its third straight win when it visits Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, on Wednesday evening.
This is the second time these foes have met this season. Notre Dame won 47-40 in a low-scoring reverse fixture at Stanford on Dec. 30.
The Cardinals (18-11, 7-9 ACC) will be a confident bunch heading into Wednesday’s tilt after dominating SMU 95-75 in their last game.
Benny Gealer scored a career-high 30 points and added four rebounds and six steals. Ebuka Okori added 22 points and six assists, while Aidan Kaman had 15 points, six rebounds and four assists. Stanford shot 51.9% from 3-point range and 29 of 32 (90.6%) from the free throw line, while Gaylor went 7-for-11 from beyond the arc.
“We played really well,” Stanford coach Kyle Smith said. “And Benny Gealer, who has meant so much to this team… He’s earned every moment through practice and hard work and has gotten better. He’s our captain. He’s our undisputed leader. Obviously Ebuka is a great player, but he’s just as important to this team as Ebuka.”
The Fighting Irish (13-16, 4-12) won’t be easy to beat in their last home game and are 10-6 as hosts this season. Notre Dame earned a 96-90 overtime win over North Carolina State. North Carolina State’s second-half rally helped the home team tie the game at 81-81 and push into OT.
Cole Certa leads the way with 32 points, going 6-for-10 from 3-point range. Jalen Haralson added 25 points and nine rebounds, including two clutch free throws to tie the game at the end of regulation. Brayden Shrewsbury had 16 points, five rebounds and three assists.
“I didn’t think we started the game the right way, but we had a couple guys come in in the first half and spur us on and get us close again and manageable,” Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsbury said. “I thought we scored well, but I didn’t think we could protect them for long.”
Okorie leads Stanford with 22.7 points per game, but had seven points on just 3-of-14 shooting in the first Notre Dame matchup. Haralson, who leads Notre Dame with 15.9 ppg, scored 13 points for Stanford.
–Field level media
