Tag: Jessika Carter

Niele Ivey, Lauren Ebo, Maddy Westbeld speak after Notre Dame win

There was a lot to say after the victory.

SOUTH BEND – Although Notre Dame found itself in a battle with Mississippi State, it gladly will take a 53-48 win. The second-round victory means a trip to the Sweet 16, specifically Greenville Regional 1. One more win, and the Irish could face top-ranked and undefeated South Carolina in the Elite Eight. But for now, it’s all about the happy things.

[autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] is glad that her team was able to get this far after many had doubts because a roster shortened by injuries. [autotag]Lauren Ebo[/autotag] is basking in the aftermath of 10 points, five blocks and an Irish-tournament record 18 rebounds. [autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag] likely doesn’t care that she didn’t score as much as in her last game, but her own 15 rebounds should allow her to be at peace with her performance.

All three appeared before the assembled media after the emotional Mississippi State contingent did. The Irish aren’t ready to shed tears for the end of the season yet because they still have at least one more game. Here are what Ivey, Ebo and Westbeld said before preparing for the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend:

Niele Ivey speaks ahead of Notre Dame’s second-round NCAA tourney game

How do you feel after reading these quotes from the coach?

SOUTH BEND – As a player, [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] experienced what Purcell Pavilion is like when it hosts the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Now as the coach at Notre Dame, she knows what it’s like from the sidelines. The Irish’s first-round win over Southern Utah confirmed what she knew about the warm atmosphere the program’s fans provide. She’ll get to experience it again in the second round against Mississippi State.

While she still was reveling about the win over the Thunderbirds, she has another tournament game to prepare for. She knows what the Bulldogs will bring, and it’s her responsibility to relay that information to her team. She did that during practice the day before the Irish’s next test, and she then relayed her thoughts to assembled media during a news conference afterwards. While she obviously wouldn’t give away her exact strategy, she showed she’s been paying attention to the Bulldogs’ game.

Here is what she said during her post-practice news conference:

Prosper, Watson speak ahead of Notre Dame second-round tournament game

How big of a role will these two play in their next tournament game?

SOUTH BEND – Two Notre Dame players on the opposite ends of the spectrum but also similar are [autotag]Cassandre Prosper[/autotag] and [autotag]Kylee Watson[/autotag]. Prosper enrolled early at the university and didn’t join the team until after the season already had begun. Watson is new to the Irish, too, but she already had two years at Oregon under her belt. She went to the NCAA Tournament in both of those years, and this is new for freshman Prosper.

In the Irish’s first-round win over Southern Utah, Watson shot a perfect 6 of 6 from the field for 12 points before fouling out. Prosper came off the bench and tied for the game high of 10 rebounds. Now, they will look to have similarly good games against Mississippi State in the second round. They recognize it will be more of a challenge, but that’s expected come tournament time.

Here is what they told the assembled media the day before their next win-or-go-home: