Notre Dame can’t complete fourth-quarter comeback at NC State

Being atop the ACC alone will have to wait.

Notre Dame undoubtedly had its visit to NC State circled on this year’s schedule. After all, the Wolfpack knocked the Irish out of the 2022 NCAA Tournament with a thrilling come-from-behind victory. Revenge had to have been on the Irish’s mind. That revenge will have to wait for another time as the Wolfpack held off a late Irish run and won 69-65.

The Irish (17-3, 8-2), who were unable to move into first outright in the ACC after Duke’s loss earlier in the day, got off to a good start with 20 first-quarter points. After that, the Wolfpack (16-5, 6-4) mostly controlled the direction of the next two quarters, leading by as much as 16. Having already lost [autotag]Dara Mabrey[/autotag] for the season and with [autotag]Lauren Ebo[/autotag] also injured, things looked grim for the Irish.

The fourth quarter saw the Irish work their way back on both ends as they cut the deficit to three with 11 unanswered points. They eventually got within two but just couldn’t get any closer despite opportunities to do so. Facing what turned out to be the final score in the last half-minute, they weren’t able to shake the Wolfpack’s defense and took too long developing a play that would give them a decent look. Even when they did get a couple of 3-pointers off, neither fell, and that was that.

Diamond Johnson led all scorers with 20 points and also led the Wolfpack with eight rebounds. Once the conference’s leading 3-point shooter this season, she made a game-high four shots from beyond the arc. Complimenting her was Mimi Collins and her 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

The Irish wasted an incredible game from [autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag], who had 19 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block. [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] also dished out five assists to go with 13 points, six boards and three steals. [autotag]Sonia Citron[/autotag] scored 11 despite shooting 3 of 12 from the field, but it was a rough day for the Irish’s backcourt as she and Miles committed five turnovers each. [autotag]Cassandre Prosper[/autotag] also had 11 points coming off the bench.

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Despite rough patches, Notre Dame holds on against Clemson

That was ugly and close, but the outcome was desirable.

Except for the result, Notre Dame probably will want to forget its game against Clemson. The shooting left a lot to be desired, and the Tigers were a feisty group eager to snag another home victory against a ranked opponent after doing it against Virginia Tech this season. Yet somehow, the Irish hung on long enough to escape with a 57-54 victory.

The Irish (15-2, 6-1) struggled from the field all night, often missing open shots. While the Tigers (12-8, 3-5) weren’t much better, they took advantage of their opportunities more in the first half, leading by as much as nine. All signs pointed to the Irish dropping a game that a team of their stature should not. Then, they made four unanswered layups at the beginning of the third quarter to go up seven, and they mostly controlled the game from there.

Despite playing a better second half, the Irish nearly let the game get away. With [autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag] at the free-throw line in the final seconds and her team up three, she only needed to make one to all but assure victory. Instead, she missed both, and Daisha Bradford got the rebound. Bradford fired a prayer at the buzzer to try and send the game to overtime, but the shot wasn’t that close, and the Irish could exhale.

Both the Irish and Tigers made only 18 field goals, but the Irish attempted eight more shots, resulting a final field-goal percentage of .353. They also shot only 4 of 17 from 3-point range and were 11 of 17 from the charity stripe. You better believe [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] will emphasize shooting during the next practice.

[autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] was everything for the Irish once again. She had a line of 20 points, eight assists, four rebounds and four steals. Westbeld had 15 points and six boards, and [autotag]Sonia Citron[/autotag] grabbed a game-high nine boards.

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Notre Dame defeats Western Michigan in final nonconference game

Just a ho-hum victory before Christmas.

Notre Dame passed its final test before ACC play begins in earnest, defeating Western Michigan, 85-57, in an early Wednesday game. [autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag] was the key player with game highs of 23 points and eight rebounds. [autotag]Sonia Citron[/autotag] scored 16 points, and [autotag]Kylee Watson[/autotag] had 10 on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting. [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] also shined with 12 assists, two shy of her career high.

The Irish (9-1) enjoyed considerable advantages in many areas, including rebounding (44-20), second-chance points (13-0), fast-break points (16-3) and points in the paint (48-20). In short, it was just what one would expect of a fifth-ranked team against a Mid-American Conference opponent. Even a win in which the Irish squeaked by would have been concerning, but that wasn’t the case.

It’s nothing but conference opponents from here on out for the Irish, and that really will be a test of how good they really are. Until that happens, here are some photos from their latest win:

Notre Dame overcomes foul trouble to win Shamrock Classic over Cal

A bit tight, but still a win.

ST. LOUIS — [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag]’s St. Louis homecoming could have gone a lot smoother. She didn’t plan on so many key players having to sit at a crucial time so that could be on the court at the end of the Shamrock Classic. Still, she gladly will take a 90-79 win over California.

The Irish (2-0) led by as much as 14 in the third quarter, but three players ([autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag], [autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag] and [autotag]Lauren Ebo[/autotag]) had four fouls before the end of that frame. With Ivey forced to go to her bench as the fourth quarter began, the Bears (1-1) whittled the deficit down to three. Fortunately, the Irish were able to calm themselves down, and the reserves were able to tread water before the foul-plagued starters could return. Once that happened, it was relatively smooth sailing.

[autotag]Dara Mabrey[/autotag] led the Irish with 16 points before fouling out. [autotag]Kylee Watson[/autotag] had 15 points and a game-high seven rebounds. [autotag]Sonia Citron[/autotag] scored 14, Miles achieved a double-double of 13 points and 10 assists, and 12 points came from Westbeld.

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Miles stars in Notre Dame’s season-opening win vs. Northern Illinois

Nice way to start things off.

Given all the preseason hype surrounding [autotag]Olivia Miles,[/autotag] it was only fair that she take center stage in Notre Dame’s season opener. She led the Irish in almost every category and thoroughly dominated. Exactly how dominant was she? Try a line of 17 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and six steals, all of which were team highs in an 88-48 victory at the Purcell Pavilion.

The Irish (1-0) saw the Huskies (0-1) take a 4-3 lead early in the first quarter, but that was as good as it got for the visitors. It was an Irish stampede from there, and it happened largely thanks to suffocating defense in which they recorded 16 steals and forced 22 turnovers. They held the Huskies to 27.5% shooting from the field while shooting 47.9% themselves.

[autotag]Dara Mabrey[/autotag] scored 16 points in a game-high 34 minutes. [autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag] had 13 points and a game-high four blocks. In her first game since transferring from Texas, [autotag]Lauren Ebo[/autotag] added 10 points off the bench.

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Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey speaks at ACC media day

Think the Irish have another deep tournament run in them?

Entering her third season as the legendary [autotag]Muffet McGraw[/autotag]’s successor, Notre Dame coach [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] has every reason for optimism. She went from .500 in her first year at the helm to 24-9 and an appearance in the Sweet 16. But for a late Irish collapse against NC State in their final game, the Final Four would have been within their reach. Alas, neither Ivey nor her team could be disappointed by how far they had come.

All of that is history now, and Ivey is ready to see what she can do with this year’s Irish. She answered questions about it during the ACC’s media day Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina:

NC State deals Notre Dame heartbreaking defeat in NCAA Tournament

This one hurts.

Notre Dame had top-seeded NC State on the ropes in the Sweet 16 of the Bridgeport Regional in the NCAA Tournament. In fact, the Irish were mere seconds away from defeating the Wolfpack for the second time this season and getting back to the Elite Eight. Instead, the tables turned at the worst possible time, and the Irish will head home after losing a 66-63 heartbreaker.

The Irish (24-9) took the lead in the second quarter, during which they had a 26-14 scoring advantage over the Wolfpack (32-3). They led by as much as 10 without falling behind and still had a four-point advantage with 1:45 to go. That lead was cut to 66-63, and the game was about to be tied but for Elissa Cunane’s first missed free throw of the game. Maya Dodson got the rebound, and the Irish called a timeout hoping to milk the clock with 35 seconds left.

Out of the timeout, the worst possible thing happened, and it surely will haunt Dara Mabrey forever. Raina Perez picked the senior clean at the center-court logo and broke free for a wide-open layup with nobody in front of her, giving the Wolfpack the slimmest of leads. The Irish called their last timeout to set up a game-winning basket, but Maddy Westbeld missed a 3-pointer, and Perez got the rebound and was fouled with 1.5 seconds remaining. Perez made two free throws, and the stunned Irish could only watch the Wolfpack celebrate their incredible come-from-behind victory.

As predicted, Cunane was the Wolfpack’s most productive player with 16 points and 10 rebounds, but it was the defense that will be remembered most in this game. Kai Crutchfield had three of her four steals in the fourth quarter, and two of those led to four of her 14 points. Perez also had four steals, none bigger than the last one.

Olivia Miles nearly carried the Irish on her back to the finish line as she led all scorers with 21 points. Westbeld scored 13 points to go with eight rebounds and three steals. However, she also committed five of the Irish’s 16 turnovers.

This one will sting for the Irish for a while, especially after being outscored, 20-10, in the fourth quarter. At the same time, this was the season in which Niele Ivey was able to establish herself as the right person to lead the program going forward. Most of the team will be back next season, and only more progress can result. The Irish are back, and they’re not going away.

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Notre Dame dominates Oklahoma from start to advance to Sweet 16

That was a whooping.

The second-round NCAA Tournament game between Notre Dame and Oklahoma was competitive for about two-and-a-half minutes. After that, any semblance of a level playing field in this contest completely evaporated. That’s because the Irish began a complete embarrassment of the Sooners on their home floor. Their 108-64 win set a program NCAA Tournament record for offensive output and set up a meeting with top-seeded NC State in the Sweet 16.

After the Irish (24-8) found themselves down, 7-5, to the Sooners (25-9), they had absolutely nothing to worry about. Led by four 3-pointers from Dara Mabrey, they scored 20 unanswered points and never were threatened again. Their 35 first-quarter points were their most in any quarter this season. Helped by Sooners 28 turnovers, they continued to pour it on throughout, reminding everyone yet again that this program has emerged from the doldrums.

Mabrey finished with seven 3-pointers and a game-high 29 points. Sonia Citron wasn’t far behind with 25, and she made all 11 of her free throws. Maya Dodson scored 20 on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, and Maddy Westbeld flirted with a double-double as she totaled 13 points and nine rebounds. Also coming close to a double-double was Olivia Miles, who scored nine points and had 12 assists.

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Oklahoma Sooners vs. Notre Dame in NCAA Tournament: Stream, injury report and broadcast

Here’s how you can check out the action between the Oklahoma Sooners and Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the NCAA Tournament.

After a strong performance against IUPUI in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, the Oklahoma Women’s basketball team will face a tough test from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. With four players averaging double-figures in points, the Sooners will have to be on guard to slow down the Irish offense.

The Sooners got fantastic performances from Madi Williams and Taylor Robertson, who each scored 20 points in the opening round win over IUPUI. This is the furthest the Sooners have advanced in the NCAA Tournament since 2017. If they can knock off Notre Dame tonight at the Lloyd Noble Center, they’ll advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013.

For Notre Dame, they knocked off UMass in the opening round of the tournament behind Olivia Miles triple double. Like Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk, it was the first win for Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey in her tenure with the Irish.

How to Watch

Date: March 21
Time: 5 p.m. CDT
TV Channel: ESPN2
Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)

Injury Report

Oklahoma

Skylar Vann: probable (leg)

Notre Dame

N/A

Players to watch

Oklahoma

Madi Williams: 18.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals per game.

Taylor Robertson: 17.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 steals per game.

Skylar Vann: 11.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists per game, 1.5 steals per game

Notre Dame

Olivia Miles: 13.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.8 steals per game.

Maya Dodson: 12.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 2.7 blocks per game.

Maddy Westbeld: 11.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.1 steals per game.

Sonia Citron: 11.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists per game.

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Notre Dame beats Massachusetts in first round of NCAA Tournament

The Irish have past their first tournament test.

If Notre Dame had lost to Massachusetts in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, no one would have been surprised. After all, two No. 5 seeds already had fallen, so it would have been forgivable not to bat an eye at seeing it happen again. But it didn’t happen this time, and the Irish are into the second round after an 89-78 win in Norman, Oklahoma.

The Irish (23-8) got off to a fast start, going up by as much as 17 in the first half. The Minutewomen (26-7) cut that lead by more than half going into the break when Sam Breen hit a buzzer-beating half-court shot. When the lead was whittled down to six in the third quarter, another No. 12 seed looked like it was on its way to victory. Instead, the Irish went on an 11-0 run, and that was all she wrote for the Minutewomen.

It was a historic game for Olivia Miles, who achieved the second triple-double of her collegiate career: 12 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists. She joins Skylar Diggins and Jackie Young as the only players in program history with two triple-doubles. While she also had six turnovers, no one will remember that.

Maddy Westbeld led the Irish with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. The Irish also got 18 points apiece from Dara Mabrey and Maya Dodson.

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