Notre Dame women’s hoops takes No. 1 Louisville to the wire

The Irish rallied down 11 points in the fourth quarter and had a chance to take the lead after a Maddy Westbeld steal and fast-break pull-up jumper, but the freshman’s shot fell short, as the Cardinals pushed ahead for the 71-65 victory. 

NOTES…

  • Notre Dame still leads the overall series 16-9, with a now 5-4 mark at Louisville. The Cardinals have won three straight in the series for the first time.
  • The Irish fall to 5-26 all-time against the A.P. No. 1 ranked team. All five wins have been against UConn, with the last being the national semifinal in 2018.
  • Today marked the first time Notre Dame has faced a No. 1 ranked team during the regular season since UConn on Jan. 5, 2013.
  • All seven Irish players who scored finished with eight or more points in a very balanced attack on Sunday.
  • The Irish outscored the Cardinals in the paint, 36-30. Rebounds were tied at 41-all.
  • Olivia Miles scored six straight for the Irish in the third and finished with her first double-digit scoring performance of her career with 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
  • Brunelle’s hot hand continued, recording her third straight game in double figures with 10 points. She has now totaled 39 points over said three-game span.
  • Brunelle came one rebound shy of a double-double, reeling in a season and team best nine boards.
  • Westbeld earned her sixth straight game in double figures, and 14th overall, with 10 points against the Cardinals. The top scoring freshman in the ACC has only finished in single digits twice this season.
  • Walker’s free throw streak continued after going 4-for-4 on Sunday. She has now made 19 in a row.
  • Vaughn has made 12 of her last 20 from the field, totaling 27 points over three games. On Sunday, Vaughn earned 10 points and eight rebounds, marking her fifth game in double figures.

UP NEXT

The Irish have another chance for a NCAA Tournament resume boost and marquee win in No. 2 NC State on Monday, Feb. 15. Tip inside Reynolds Coliseum is set for 5 p.m. EST on ESPN2.