- Matchup: Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs California Golden Bears
- Scheduled Date: Friday, January 2, 2026
- Venue: Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, CA
- Broadcasting On: ESPN2
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The stage is set at Haas Pavilion as the California Golden Bears (12-1) are set to clash with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9-4) this Friday.
In their previous outing, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish faced off against IPFW and suffered a narrow defeat with a final score of 72-69. The Irish accumulated 18 fouls, while their opponents finished with 17. Notre Dame made 11 of 35 attempts from beyond the arc. On the other hand, IPFW converted 13 of 17 free throw attempts, tallying a 76.5% success rate. They secured a total of 25 rebounds (7 offensive, 18 defensive) without any blocks. IPFW recorded 7 assists and stole the ball 7 times. Defensively, Notre Dame allowed a shooting percentage of 40.7% (24 of 59) from the floor. Notre Dame distributed 11 assists, generated 7 turnovers, and collected 5 steals. They managed to grab a total of 37 rebounds, including 9 offensive boards, and shot 82.4% from the free throw line, converting 14 of 17 attempts. The Fighting Irish concluded the game with a field goal percentage of 40.0% (24 of 60) and made 7 of 27 three-point shots.
Jalen Haralson stood out in this matchup, contributing 21 points on 6 of 13 shooting. He played for 27 minutes and recorded 9 rebounds, finishing with a shooting rate of 46.2% and dishing out 4 assists.
This season, Notre Dame holds a record of 9-4. The team averages 76.7 points per game, ranking 208th in Division I, with a shooting percentage of 47.1%. From beyond the arc, they have a 37.9% success rate (118 of 311) and convert 71.1% of their free throw attempts. The Fighting Irish average 37.7 rebounds per game and have logged 170 assists this season, placing them 260th nationally in assists. They commit an average of 11.9 turnovers and 17.4 fouls per game.
On the defensive front, the Fighting Irish force their opponents into 10.5 turnovers per game while drawing 17.5 fouls. Ranked 136th for assists allowed, they have surrendered 162 this year. Notre Dame’s defense holds opponents to a shooting percentage of 41.7% (303 of 726), allowing 30.4 rebounds per game. They permit 33.3% shooting from three-point range and rank 78th in Division I for points allowed, with an average of 68.4 points per game.
The California Golden Bears last played Columbia and secured a 74-56 victory. In this game, California allowed Columbia to grab a total of 27 rebounds (6 on the offensive board). The Bears shot 23.5% from three-point range, hitting 4 of 17 attempts, and completed 6 of 12 free throws (50.0%). Columbia managed to score on 23 of their 55 field goal attempts, resulting in a shooting percentage of 41.8%. The final stats for the Golden Bears showed they shot 42.1%, completing 24 of 57 attempts from the field and hitting 7 of 21 three-point attempts (33.3%). They scored 19 of their free throw attempts, achieving a 79.2% success rate. Columbia committed 19 personal fouls during the game, which allowed California 24 trips to the foul line. The Bears turned the ball over 6 times but managed to secure 7 steals throughout the game, and they grabbed 25 defensive rebounds alongside 7 offensive rebounds, totaling 32 rebounds.
Dai Dai Ames played a crucial role for the Golden Bears in this match, hitting 7 of 14 shots for a 50.0% shooting percentage, grabbing 1 rebound, and finishing with 21 points over 34 minutes of play, while also contributing 2 assists.
California boasts an impressive 12-1 record this season. Offensively, the Golden Bears are shooting at a rate of 47.5%, ranking 95th nationally. With a total of 1,080 points (83.1 per game), they average 36.0 rebounds per game. California dishes out 15.2 assists per outing, ranking 147th in college basketball, while averaging 10.1 turnovers per game. They commit 16.9 fouls each game and convert 78.5% of their free throw attempts.
The defensive stats for California indicate they allow 30.8% shooting from three-point range (89 of 289) and their opponents are converting 66.4% of their free throw attempts. They average 13.4 assists and 34.0 rebounds allowed, ranking 191st and 160th in those respective categories. The Golden Bears rank 53rd in college basketball for points allowed per game (66.7) and average forcing 13.3 turnovers while limiting opponents to a 40.7% shooting percentage from the field (71st in college hoops).
Who will emerge victorious in tonight’s NCAA game against the spread?
Suggestion: Back Notre Dame
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