(photo courtesy Georgia Tech athletics)

(Atlanta) — It’s not a Happy New Year for the Notre Dame women’s basketball program.

The 18th-ranked Irish started 2026 by squandering a 14-point second-half lead and losing in overtime to Georgia Tech, 95-90, tonight at McCamish Pavilion. The loss drops Notre Dame to 10-3 overall, 2-1 in ACC play.

Notre Dame had no answers for Tech’s Talayah Walker, who scored a career-high 33 points with 10 rebounds and six assists. Walker scored seven points in a Yellow Jacket 9-0 run during overtime that salted the game away.

The Irish appeared to be in command when Iyana Moore scored three of her 11 points on a pull-up jumper midway through the third quarter to give Notre Dame a 51-37 lead.

But Catherine Alben came off the bench in the third to sink a pair of threes, cutting the lead to six points headed to the fourth quarter.

Poor passing and ballhandling by Notre Dame in the fourth quarter led to several Tech fastbreak opportunities, and the hosts cashed in, tying the game at 80 on a La’nya Foster layup with 45 seconds left. That set the stage for Walker’s heroics.

Hannah Hidalgo led the Irish with 26 points, 10 assists and eight steals, while Cass Prosper added a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

The victory for Tech is only their second over Notre Dame in program history. The Yellow Jackets are now 6-9 overall and 1-2 in ACC play.

Notre Dame has to regroup before a noon game Sunday at Duke.