Tag: purcell pavilion

Ivey, Hidalgo, Citron, Westbeld speak after Notre Dame win

Hear what the victors had to say about this game.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – There’s no doubt Notre Dame wants to have one or two more games at Purcell Pavilion this season. The Irish have been playing even better lately, most recently with their 74-58 win over Louisville. It all depends on what the NCAA Tournament selection committee thinks of its resume. We’ll save that discussion for another day though.

The discussion right now is this latest victory, which [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] was happy to talk about afterwards. After a win like that though, it wasn’t enough to bring in the usual one or two players. She brought in her three best, and they all deserved it.

[autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] did her usual thing with 26 points, eight rebounds, four assists and six steals. [autotag]Sonia Citron[/autotag] scored 17 points, and [autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag] had a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Fighting Irish Wire was on hand during this postgame news conference, and here is some of what was said:

Notre Dame clinches ACC Tournament double-bye with win vs. Louisville

Great way to end the regular season.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Hopefully, Notre Dame has not played its final game at Purcell Pavilion this season. That depends on how the selection committee for the NCAA Tournament feels about giving the Irish a top-four seed. Regardless, the Irish continued to make their case in front of a packed house with a 74-58 win over Louisville, giving them a double-bye for this week’s ACC Tournament.

The first half was very much even until the Irish (23-6, 13-5) saw the Cardinals (23-8, 12-6) take their biggest lead at seven going into halftime. The third quarter was a much different story though as the Irish became as red-hot from the field as the Cardinals became ice-cold, though the Irish’s defense also had a hand in that. The shooting numbers in that quarter told the story: 11 of 13 for the Irish, and 2 of 17 for the Cardinals.

[autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] had a trademark game of 26 points, eight rebounds, four assists and six steals. [autotag]Sonia Citron[/autotag] scored 17 points, [autotag]Kylee Watson[/autotag] added 10, and [autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag] achieved a double-double of 11 points and 11 boards.

With the victory in their final regular-season game, the Irish didn’t need to worry about Wake Forest having to upset NC State. They now get to go straight to the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. That extra rest will do wonders for a team that has had depth issues all season. We’ll see how much it pays off.

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Notre Dame fencing team member Spencer Vermeule killed in car accident

Awful news.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Notre Dame fencing program is in mourning after losing one of its own. Sophomore [autotag]Spencer Vermeule[/autotag], who was on the 2023 national championship team, died Saturday after the Audi A3 he was driving hit a tree and flipped over in Elkhart County. He was pronounced dead at the accident’s scene, and an investigation is continuing.

Notre Dame’s president, the [autotag]Rev. John Jenkins[/autotag], released the following statement:

“We are deeply saddened by Spencer’s tragic death. On behalf of the entire Notre Dame community, I extend our deepest sympathies to the Vermeule family, and offer prayers of comfort and peace to Spencer’s family, friends and all who knew and loved him.”

A moment for silence for Vermeuhle was planned before the women’s basketball team’s sold-out home finale against Louisville at Purcell Pavilion. We at Fighting Irish Wire join Notre Dame in offering our deepest condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.

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Micah Shrewsberry speaks after Notre Dame wins home finale vs. Clemson

Hear from the coach.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] was in a great mood after Notre Dame beat Clemson, 69-62. How could he not after a  second straight win over a team headed to the NCAA Tournament? The team is playing a lot better than it was earlier in the year, which is impressive for a team that wasn’t expected to accomplish much.

Fighting Irish Wire was on hand to hear a relaxed Shrewsberry give his take on the game as well as the things that have happened this season. Given that there are no more games at Purcell Pavilion this season, the time felt appropriate to ask questions about the season itself. He seems to be settled in a lot more with where he is with his team and his place within the university.

Listed below are Shrewsberry’s opening statement and his answers to the questions he was asked by Fighting Irish Wire:

Tae Davis, Matt Zona speak after Notre Dame beats Clemson

Hear from a couple of key players after the Irish’s latest victory.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame gave its home fans a great sendoff for this season with a 69-62 victory over Clemson. There were several key players involved with the result, but only two of them spoke to the media afterwards.

One was [autotag]Tae Davis[/autotag], who scored all 18 of his points in the second half and scored six straight points to break a 50-all tie and give the Irish a lead they never gave back. He stands to be a key part of the future.

The other was senior forward [autotag]Matt Zona[/autotag], who played his final game at Purcell Pavilion and was named team captain by [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] beforehand. Coming off the bench, he hit two 3-pointers to account for all six of his points and also grabbed four rebounds. Getting to talk to the media was a nice culmination of a memorable day for him.

Here are the questions Fighting Irish Wire asked them:

Notre Dame victorious over Clemson in final home game of season

Hopefully, there are many of these at Purcell Pavilion next year.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame has been playing better late in the season, and the future appears to look bright. Saturday presented the final opportunity to give the fans at Purcell Pavilion a glimpse of that future.

In front of a loud crowd in their home finale against Clemson, the Irish continued to compete well and hard as they have lately. It paid off as the Irish beat their second straight NCAA Tournament-bound opponent, 69-62, after topping Wake Forest earlier in the week. That’s their fifth win in their past six games.

The Irish (12-17, 7-11) and Tigers (20-9, 10-8) showcased a battle that saw six ties and 11 lead changes, mostly in the second half. The Tigers held the lead for much of the game, but everything changed over the final eight minutes with the game tied at 50.

[autotag]Tae Davis[/autotag] went on a personal 6-0 run with a high-jumping two-handed dunk and four free throws. The Irish never let the lead slip away again, going up by as much as nine. The Irish faithful in attendance made their appreciation known late in the game and once the clock ran out.

[autotag]Markus Burton[/autotag] continued to make his case for ACC Rookie of the Year with 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting, six rebounds and four assists. Davis scored all 18 of his points in the second half, which included making all eight of his free throws, and [autotag]Carey Booth[/autotag] got nine of his 11 points on three 3-pointers.

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Purcell Pavilion sold out for Notre Dame’s home finale vs. Louisville

Hope you’ve got your ticket already.

The Notre Dame women’s basketball team’s final regular-season game will be loud. That can be said definitively because the program posted on social media that Sunday’s contest against Louisville has been sold out:

There likely are several factors playing into this, not the least of which is that the Irish have won four straight games and five of their past six. Fans might also be on a high from the last victory over No. 5 Virginia Tech.

There also is seeding for the ACC Tournament at stake as the outcome likely will determine whether the Irish obtain a double-bye. With a 12-5 conference record, they’re in a three-way tie for third with the Cardinals and NC State. A loss not only would put those double-bye hopes in serious jeopardy, but it also probably would end any remaining chance of obtaining a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Fighting Irish Wire will be on hand to cover this big game. It should be a good one.

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Watch: Jewell Loyd makes halfcourt shot, advises in Notre Dame return

A program legend was there for a great night.

[autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] will go down as one of the best women’s basketball players ever. In her WNBA tenure with the Seattle Storm, she’s earned two championships, five All-Star selections and her first scoring title just this past season. But her journey to superstardom at the professional level began at Notre Dame, and she returned there for the Irish’s game against No. 5 Virginia Tech.

Before anyone got there, she stepped onto the court at Purcell Pavilion and made a shot from halfcourt like it was nothing:

After the Irish earned a victory over the Hokies that many were not expecting, Loyd met with the Irish and offered advice to the players who undoubtedly remained a high from their upset win:

One of the best players in program history, Loyd always will have a place at Notre Dame. That she came back for the high point of the season to this point makes it better. Hopefully, the Irish won’t have to wait long for her next visit:

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Notre Dame stuns No. 5 Virginia Tech with big win

Biggest victory this season by far.

As impressive as Notre Dame’s win at UConn earlier this season was, it was a nonconference game. What ultimately matters is how you do against your conference foes, and the Irish had a tough one in No. 5 Virginia Tech on Thursday at Purcell Pavilion. It turned out not to matter as the Irish upset the Hokies in convincing fashion, 71-58.

Not only did the Irish (22-6, 12-5) keep the Hokies (23-5, 14-3) from clinching the outright ACC title with a victory and snap their 10-game winning streak, but they kept their hopes for a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament alive. A loss would have caused those hopes to hang by a thread at best, but that’s not the case.

This game featured eight lead changes, all in the first quarter. The Irish never trailed again after [autotag]KK Bransford[/autotag] made a layup late in that first quarter. By locking down on the Hokies’ top players, executing their offensive game plan flawlessly and simply outplaying their opponents, the Irish led by as much as 14. The Hokies cut the lead to five a couple of times in the second half but got no closer. The Irish weathered every storm and came out on top.

[autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] embraced the higher stakes with 23 points, six assists, three steals and a career-high 12 rebounds. She also became the ACC’s all-time leading freshman scorer by bringing her season total to 663. [autotag]Sonia Citron[/autotag] scored all 21 of her points in the second half, and [autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag] had 19 points and 10 rebounds.

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Notre Dame to wear green for big home game vs. Virginia Tech

Will these work?

With Notre Dame three games back of Virginia Tech in the ACC, the hopes for repeating as ACC regular-season champions have been dashed. But an Irish victory over the red-hot Hokies would do wonders for their NCAA Tournament seeding, and they seem to recognize that. One day before their biggest game of the season, they announced they’ll be wearing green jerseys for the occasion at Purcell Pavilion:

The Hokies have won 10 straight and would clinch the outright ACC title by beating the Irish. So a lot will be on the line for both teams Thursday in South Bend.

We know the football team has brought out green jerseys on several occasions when a game has had high stakes, but it typically hasn’t ended well in those cases. The women’s basketball team wore green when it lost to top-ranked South Carolina during its season opener in Paris. Here’s hoping that’s not a sign that what’s true in football carries over to women’s basketball.

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