Once a powerhouse, Notre Dame has fallen off over the past few years. However, a 70-65 win over North Carolina convinced a lot of people that this program is on its way back up. Both teams are ranked in the Top 25, but this victory put the Irish (13-3, 4-1) ahead of the Tar Heels (14-2, 4-2) in the ACC standings and into a tie for third with Virginia Tech. Coach Niele Ivey told her team exactly what this meant in the locker room afterward:
With the victory, the Irish have won six of their past seven games. They have yet to play NC State or Louisville, the two teams that are undefeated in conference play and also rank in the top five nationally. Barring a collapse over the next month-and-a-half, the Irish should get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years. It’s only a matter of how good they’ll be when that time comes.