Both Notre Dame and Pittsburgh have to win the ACC tournament in order to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament. The first step to do that would be to survive a matchup in early Tuesday action in Charlotte.

With the injuries the Pittsburgh Panthers have suffered this season, they've become highly reliant on two methods of scoring: isolations and pick-and-pops. Notre Dame is one of the better isolation defenses in the country, ranking in the Top 5% nationally in such sets and holding opponents to .61 points per possession.

Pitt and Notre Dame turned on the defensive intensity Tuesday afternoon in the first round of the ACC Tournament at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., but the Irish had just enough offense to escape with a 55-54 victory.

Notre Dame basketball survived and advanced to live and play another day in the Atlantic Coast Conference basketball tournament, but could it do it again?

The ACC Tournament heats up this afternoon when the North Carolina Tar Heels square off against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Wednesday.

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How much did Notre Dame basketball have left in the tank for a Day Two meeting with North Carolina at Atlantic Coast Conference tournament?

Following UNC basketball's win against Wake Forest at the ACC Tournament, the Tar Heels' immediately shifted their focus to No. 1 Duke.