Tag: Womens Basketball

No. 19 Notre Dame guts out win at Georgia Tech

Huge win in a thriller!

ATLANTA – It was circled on Notre Dame’s calendar as a pivotal game between two teams vying for the coveted double-bye spots in the ACC Tournament. In the end, it was the No. 19/20 Fighting Irish women’s basketball team (20-6, 11-4) who gutted out a tough 72-66 overtime road win at No. 16/18 Georgia Tech (19-7, 10-5) Thursday night inside McCamish Pavilion.

The Irish outscored the Yellow Jackets 11-5 in overtime, picking up their first true road win against a ranked opponent this season.

Olivia Miles led with 18 points and eight assists. Dara Mabrey came up big in overtime, where she scored six of her 11 points.

Just 30 min away from her hometown of Alpharetta, Maya Dodson gave her cheering section something to cheer for with an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. Sonia Citron also added a double-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds. For Dodson and Citron it was their seventh and fourth double-doubles of the year, respectively.

Lastly, Anaya Peoples and Sam Brunelle provided much-needed baskets off the bench, scoring eight and four points, respectively.

How It Happened

Georgia Tech started 2-of-3 from three to jump out to an 8-4 lead but the Irish buckled down and began to disrupt the Yellow Jacket offense. The Irish produced a 10-0 run from 3:53-0:46, then later hit a half-court buzzer beater, courtesy Maddy Westbeld, to earn a 17-10 lead. Dodson had six points in the first as six different Irish had registered points.

The Irish defense left its mark in the second quarter, creating four Georgia Tech turnovers in a four-minute stretch, equating to an 8-0 Irish run in which Westbeld and Peoples had tallied four points each. Dodson and Miles extended the run to 13-1, building a big 30-14 advantage.

However, Georgia Tech was able to pull together a rally in the final two minutes of the half, recording a 6-0 run to make it 30-20 at halftime.

At the midway point, Dodson nearly had a double-double with nine points, nine rebounds. Westbeld followed right behind with seven points, five boards. Notre Dame had outrebounded Georgia Tech 27-15 in the half and outscored the Yellow Jackets 26-6 in the paint.

Georgia Tech came out red hot in the third quarter, making three triples in a 90-second span. Olivia Miles did her best to stave off the flurry, trading off the barrage with two of her own to keep ND in the lead, up 36-30 at 6:27.

The next five baskets for the Irish came from five different players as Notre Dame and Georgia Tech traded off baskets. The difference-maker of the quarter came at the very end where Citron knocked down a three before the buzzer for a 49-39 lead.

However, Georgia Tech recorded another stretch in the fourth quarter in which they unleashed three triples in a short span, pulling to within one at 58-57 at the 4:44 mark.

Fast forward to 43 seconds left in the game and it’s tied at 59-all, Irish ball. The hometown girl Dodson delivered in the paint to give Notre Dame a two-point lead with 29 seconds remaining. Down on the other end, Georgia Tech’s Lahtinen drove the baseline and connected on the layup. Next, it was Notre Dame ball out of a timeout with 6.6 seconds but the Irish recorded an untimely turnover resulting in the game going to overtime.

When Notre Dame needed clutch shots in overtime, Mabrey answered, connecting on a jumper before the shot clock at 2:56 and then a huge and-one at 1:23.

Up just two with under 30 seconds left, Miles was fouled and sent to the line where she converted both. A defensive stand later and the Irish were back on the line where Mabrey and Citron iced it.

Up Next

After a bye/off weekend, Notre Dame closes out its regular season with two straight games at home, starting with Clemson on Thursday, Feb. 24. The matchup against the Tigers will tip at 8 p.m. on ACC Network, as the program will honor its four seniors during a pregame ceremony. Then, the Irish end the regular season with No. 3 Louisville on Sunday, Feb. 27, in a special White Out game featuring the return of Skylar Diggins-Smith.

No. 3 Louisville routs Notre Dame

Sometimes its just not your day.

LOUISVILLE – Sometimes the shots simply won’t fall and that was the case for the No. 18/19 Notre Dame women’s basketball team (19-6, 10-4) on Sunday against the No. 3/3 ranked Louisville Cardinals (22-2, 13-1). The Fighting Irish were a cold 2-of-22 from three-point range and shot 31.7 percent overall, resulting in a 73-47 loss inside the KFC Yum! Center.

Both of Notre Dame’s freshmen finished in double figures as Sonia Citron led with 13 points on 6-of-17 shooting. The New York native also reeled in six rebounds. Next, Olivia Miles totaled 11 points.

Meanwhile, Maddy Westbeld was close to a double-double, finishing with 10 points and eight rebounds. It marked her third straight game in double figures. Maya Dodson was close as well, posting eight points and nine boards.

The Irish already had a shortened bench heading into Sunday and that problem grew during the game, as Sam Brunelle exited near the end of the first with a shoulder injury. That left the Irish with six healthy players for three quarters of the game.

How It Happened

Notre Dame had several open looks from beyond the arc to start the game but just couldn’t get the shots to fall. Despite the fact, it was just 8-7 Louisville at the 4:18 media timeout. The Irish later fired off a fast 6-0 run over 61 seconds, primarily thanks to four straight points from Sam Brunelle. Ultimately Notre Dame closed the opening quarter down one at 14-13, with Miles leading the way with five points.

A Westbeld layup at 4:51 kept it a one-possession game, down 21-19; however, that’s when the game took a turn for the worse for the Irish. Dodson had to go to the bench with two fouls, meaning no subs for the Irish. The Cardinals then finished the quarter on an 11-2 scoring spree to claim a 32-21 lead at the break.

At the midway point, Notre Dame was just 1-of-14 from beyond the arc. Overall, they were shooting 10-of-37 (27 percent) compared to Louisville’s 13-of-33 (39.4 percent).

The floodgates opened up a bit in the third as Louisville built its largest lead of the game at 52-25 at 4:26. Citron was the bright spot in the quarter, recording nine points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field, to spur Notre Dame to 16 points in the period. Louisville then outpaced ND, 15-10, in the fourth to bring it to the final score.

Up Next

The Fighting Irish will have another big test on the road in the form of No. 11 Georgia Tech. That matchup is slated for Thursday, Feb. 17, at 8 p.m. ET in Atlanta. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network.

Notre Dame remains unbeaten at home by beating Miami

Still unbeaten at home!

The following is courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics:

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The undefeated streak at home rolled on as the No. 18/19 Notre Dame women’s basketball team improved to 12-0 inside Purcell Pavilion this season, defeating the University of Miami, 69-53. The Fighting Irish (19-5, 10-3) held the Hurricanes (12-10, 5-7) to just 11 points in each of the first three quarters, posting a new season best in points allowed in an ACC contest this season.

The birthday girl Maddy Westbeld recorded her third 20-point performance of the season and her best scoring effort since her season high of 22 at DePaul back on Dec. 22. Against Miami on Thursday, Westbeld poured in 21 points on a career best 4-of-5 from three. The Ohio native finished 8-of-11 from the field to go along with her eight rebounds.

Maya Dodson posted her sixth double-double of the year, all of which have come in the last nine games. Tonight, the Georgia native tallied 12 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Next, Sonia Citron recorded 15 points, eight of which came in the fourth quarter. The freshman also reeled in eight boards.

Next – How It Happened

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No. 20 Notre Dame rallies but falls short at Florida State

Notre Dame capped having five games in 11 days but couldn’t get it done at Florida State on Sunday…

TALLAHASSEE. – It was five games in 11 days for the No. 20/19 Notre Dame women’s basketball team, as the Fighting Irish’s (18-5, 9-3) final leg of the gauntlet ended with a 70-65 loss at Florida State (11-10, 5-6). The Irish fought back down 18 with eight minutes remaining to pull within two points, but just couldn’t get the tying basket to fall.

The loss marked the first time the Irish fell to the Seminoles in the all-time series, now at 11-1-0.

Olivia Miles led all ND scorers with 17 points, including nine in the fourth quarter. Both Sonia Citron and Maya Dodson supplied 15 points, as the latter earned a double-double with a team high 10 rebounds. Maddy Westbeld rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 points, including a 2-for-2 mark from three.

Next – How It Happened…

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Notre Dame stays hot, beats Virginia Tech

W. Again.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The No. 20/19 Notre Dame women’s basketball completed the four-game home-stand sweep on Thursday night, defeating (RV/RV) Virginia Tech 68-55 inside Purcell Pavilion. The Fighting Irish (18-4, 9-2) not only kept its undefeated home record intact (11-0), but also moved into a tie for third place with No. 12/17 Georgia Tech.

Defensively, it was one of the strongest outings for the Irish, as the Hokies’ (17-6, 7-3) 55 points are the fewest ND is allowed thus far in ACC play. Not to mention, Notre Dame allowed just six points in the second quarter. The Irish also kept Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley in check, as she totaled 10 points under her season average.

Olivia Miles put on a highlight reel for the home fans tonight which included 24 points and two behind-the-back passes. Fellow freshman Sonia Citron joined her in double figures with 11 points to go along with her seven rebounds.

Maya Dodson collected a career high five steals to go with her two blocks, seven rebounds and six points. Anaya Peoples got fans to their feet with an electric and-one in the fourth, as she finished with five points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals.

The Irish also posted another tremendous effort on the boards, out-rebounding Virginia Tech, 40-33, resulting in 13 second-chance points.

Next – How It Happened…

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No. 20 Notre Dame upsets No. 3 NC State

The biggest win to date of the Ivey Era!

The following is courtesy of Notre Dame athletics:

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Notre Dame women’s basketball head coach Niele Ivey earned her first top-five win of her young coaching career as the No. 20 Fighting Irish (17-4, 8-2) knocked off No. 3 NC State (19-3, 10-1), 69-66, on Tuesday night. As a result, the Irish remained undefeated at home, improving to 10-0.

The victory is the first win at home against a top-five team since Arike Ogunbowale and company knocked off Louisville in a No. 1 vs No. 2 matchup back in the 2018-19 season.

Maya Dodson led the way with an impressive 20-point, 10-rebound double-double, while keeping All-American Elissa Cunane at bay, who scored 13 points for the Wolfpack.

Olivia Miles’ statline was 13 points, six rebounds and five assists. Sam Brunelle also notched double figures again with 10 points. In fact, it was a total team effort for the Irish with Maddy Westbeld, Dara Mabrey, Sonia Citron, Anaya Peoples and Abby Prohaska all landing on the scoresheet.

The Fighting Irish also got it done on the glass, out-rebounding the Pack, 45-38, recording 18 second-chance points.

Next – How It Happened

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Notre Dame gets revenge on Boston College

Payback.

From the Notre Dame athletic department:

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The mission this week – protect Purcell Pavilion – and the No. 20/18 Notre Dame women’s basketball team (16-4, 7-2) continue to do just that, defeating Boston College (14-7, 5-5) by the score of 74-61 on Sunday. As a result, the Fighting Irish not only avenged a loss from 10 days ago, but also improved to 9-0 at home.

It was a superb day for Notre Dame freshman point guard Olivia Miles, who poured in a career high 30 points. The New Jersey native shot 12-of-19 from the field, including a career best 4-for-8 from three. She also dished out six assists and grabbed four boards.

Miles became the fifth different Irish freshman to score 30 or more points in a game, with Alicia Ratay holding the high mark of 32 set back on Dec. 4, 1999. The full list includes: Arike Ogunbowale (30 vs Central Michigan on 11/11/16), Skylar Diggins-Smith (31 vs Vermont on 3/23/10), Sam Brunelle (31 vs Depaul on 12/11/19) and Alicia Ratay (32 vs UNC on 12/4/99).

Maya Dodson’s career high streak of double-digit scoring games was extended with 12 points today. She also collected her third double-double during that stretch as well with 10 boards, and matched her career high with six blocks.

Lastly, Sonia Citron posted her fifth straight game in double figures with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor.

Next: How It Happened

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Notre Dame routs Syracuse

There is never a bad time to beat Syracuse.

The following is courtesy of Notre Dame athletics:

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The No. 20/18 Notre Dame women’s basketball team (15-4, 6-2) remained unblemished at home on Thursday night, improving to 8-0 inside Purcell Pavilion, after an 83-62 victory over Syracuse (8-10, 1-7). The Fighting Irish had six in double figures tonight, highlighted by double-doubles from its two freshmen, Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron.

Miles got ever so close to that second triple-double, recording 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Meanwhile, Citron notched a career high 12 boards to go with her 13 points – 10 of which came in the fourth quarter.

 For the fourth time over the last five games, Sam Brunelle registered double-digit points, as the junior continued her hot streak with 15 on Thursday. She also reeled in a season high six rebounds.

Maya Dodson’s career high streak in double figures rolled on with 13 points, her seventh straight. Finally, Dara Mabrey and Maddy Westbeld rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Next – How It Happened…

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Notre Dame wins big at Pitt

Irish win again!

The following is from Notre Dame athletics:

PITTSBURGH – The No. 19/17 Notre Dame women’s basketball team (14-4, 5-2) outscored the Pittsburgh Panthers (10-9, 1-7) 38-24 in the second half to march on to a 77-63 victory inside the Petersen Events Center on Sunday. In fact, the Irish defense limited the Panthers to just eight points in the fourth quarter.

Maya Dodson continues her best stretch of her collegiate career, recording her sixth straight game in double figures, including her third 20-plus point performance in said stretch. Dodson finished with a game high 23 points and even collected a double-double along the way with 12 boards. It marked her second double-double of the year.

In-total, five Irish players finished in double figures on Sunday, marking the second consecutive game in which they achieved this feat. Joining Dodson was Olivia Miles (14 points / 6 assists / 5 rebounds), Dara Mabrey (10 points), Sonia Citron (12 points / 7 rebounds) and Sam Brunelle (10 points).

Next – How It Happened…

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No. 17 Notre Dame stumbles late at Boston College

A tough loss after having a big lead late

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The No. 19/17 Notre Dame women’s basketball team (13-4, 4-2) continues to be haunted by bad juju inside Conte Forum, dropping its third straight in Chestnut Hill by one possession, after Boston College (13-5, 4-3) rallied to win 73-71. In those three losses inside Conte, the combined margin of defeat was just six points.

The Fighting Irish led by as much as 14 points with 2:53 remaining in the third period. The Irish also had two good looks near the basket with just under 10 seconds remaining to either tie or go-ahead.

Five Irish players scored in double figures, led by a 15-point effort from Sam Brunelle. Both Maya Dodson and Sonia Citron supplied 13 points, as the latter led the team with eight rebounds. Olivia Miles notched 12 points and seven assists. Dara Mabrey rounded out the group with 10 points.

Boston College was powered by a three-headed monster: Swartz (28 points), Dickens (20 points) and Soule (15 points). Swartz and Dickens went a combined 11-for-18 from three-point range.

How It Happened

Boston College came out swinging at opening tip, running off to an 8-0 run to prompt a Coach Ivey timeout at 8:32. Notre Dame then settled in and responded out of the break with an 11-0 run over the next 2:18. In fact, the Irish finished the quarter making nine of their next 12 shots to go up 22-17.

Brunelle led with seven points in the first, knocking down all three of her shots. Defensively, the Irish caused seven turnovers in which they converted into nine points.

Next, it was a low scoring quarter in the second, with the Irish edging the Eagles 13-10 to go up 35-27 at the half. Westbeld led this time with six points, while Citron was active on the glass with four boards. By half, 22 of the team’s 35 points were scored in the paint. Furthermore, Notre Dame was shooting 56 percent compared to BC’s 31 percent.

Notre Dame recorded an 8-2 scoring spree early in the third to build a 43-32 lead. Later on, Dodson scored six of the team’s eight points during an 8-0 run, extending the lead to 55-41, Notre Dame’s largest lead of the game at 2:53.

However, over the final 2:35 of the quarter, Boston College netted a 13-0 run to pull within one at 55-54. The Eagles outscored the Irish 27-20 in the third after scoring just 27 total in the first half.

BC then scored the first bucket of the fourth, garnering its first lead of the entire game. Brunelle finally ended the drought with a big three at 8:19 that kicked off a 7-0 run.

The Eagles punched back again with a 5-0 run to pull within one, but this time it was Citron with a big three-pointer at 5:36. Later tied at 67-all, it was Mabrey’s turn to hit a pivotal three.

Yet, the story of the night was Boston College’s relentlessness from three, hitting their 11th of the game and fourth of the quarter to tie it at 70-all with 2:36 remaining.

Down 72-71 with 20 seconds left, the Irish would ultimately have three chances to take the lead. On the first possession, the refs called an offensive foul on Miles, her fifth of the game. On the second, Dodson had a chance in the paint but her layup was too strong. Then with four seconds left, down two, Westbeld’s fadeaway jumper in the paint couldn’t fall, as Boston College rallied for the win.

Up Next

The Fighting Irish will repack their bags for an extended road trip in which they’ll play at Pitt on Sunday, Jan. 23, followed by a makeup game at Virginia on Tuesday, Jan. 25.