Trailing 64-54 with three minutes, 34 seconds left, Menlo found a way to take the game down to the final seconds. The Oaks were within three points when Notre Dame's Chris Silzer missed the front end of a one-and-one with 10 seconds left and the Oaks' Nick McCullar grabbed the rebound. With a chance to tie the game Menlo couldn't find a good look from deep, instead passing the ball inside for a McCullar two that trimmed the Oaks deficit to 70-69. Unfortunately, the final basket was merely for appearances since only 0.1 second remained. The Argonauts completed the ensuing inbounds pass to end the game.

Menlo led 33-32 at halftime courtesy of a Tim Kees free throw in the final second of the first half. The Oaks, who led by as many as five points before halftime, took their biggest lead of the night with another Tim Kees free throw that established a 44-38 Menlo advantage with just less than six minutes gone in the second half.

From there the Oaks offensive struggles were only compounded by their inability to convert at the free throw line. Menlo made only 14-of-28 free throw attempts in the game, which was anything but helpful as Notre Dame reeled off a 17-3 run which gave it a 55-47 cushion with nine minutes, 20 seconds to go.

When Joshua Malloy's jumper with less than four minutes on the clock fell through to give the Argonauts its first and only double-digit lead of the contest, the final result seemed a formality. Menlo refused to go away.

Dejon Grant split a pair of free throws 10 seconds later to get the Oaks moving in the right direction. Menlo's defense forced Notre Dame into a shot clock violation on the ensuing possession before Andrew Young scored off a McCullar assist with two minutes, 36 seconds still to play.

Argonauts big man Alex Raj was then whistled for an offensive foul and McCullar scored inside to trim Menlo's deficit to 64-59 with two minutes to go. Two Nick Storment free throws reestablished a seven-point bulge for Notre Dame that Kees cut into with a free throw of his own. When Kees missed his second free throw, Silzer took the ball all the way to the rim, but couldn't get a contested layup to fall. Drew Davis snagged the rebound and pushed the ball up court. Kees then drove and dished to Julian Harris for a 3-pointer from the corner to drew Menlo within 66-64 with one minute remaining.

Malloy converted a layup and two free throw attempts around a Kees score at the basket as the Argonauts stayed just in front with a 70-66 advantage and 22 seconds on the clock. McCullar split two free throws with 11.8 seconds to play before Silzer's front-end miss gave the Oaks their final chance.

Menlo's 51 percent shooting from the field was undermined by its inability to convert at the free throw line, where it shot only 50 percent. McCullar and Kees each scored 15 points and grabbed four rebounds for the Oaks while Ryan Dung netted 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Julian Harris scored nine points.

Nick Storment led Notre Dame with 19 points while wing Bennie Murray proved to be a foil to the Oaks all night. Murray finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two emphatic blocks. Silzer and Andre Hayes scored 11 and nine points, respectively.

Menlo, 4-8, begins Cal Pac play next Thursday at Holy Names at 7:30 p.m. Notre Dame de Namur, 2-9, enters Pacific West Conference action the same night versus Hawaii Hilo.