Dec. 1, 2007
Game Notes Package in PDF Format 
2007-08 ND Women’s Basketball: Game 7
#22/23 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-1 / 0-0 BIG EAST) vs. Michigan Wolverines (4-2 / 0-0 Big Ten)
DATE: December 2, 2007
TIME: 2:00 p.m. ET
AT: Notre Dame, Ind. – Joyce Center (11,418)
SERIES: ND leads 8-6
1ST MTG: 1/20/79 (UM 93-66)
LAST MTG: 12/1/06 (ND 61-58)
RADIO: ESPN Radio 1490 AM/UND.com (Sean Stires, p-b-p)
TV: UND.com
LIVE STATS: UND.com
TICKETS: (574) 631-7356
Storylines
- Notre Dame has had at least five double-figure scorers in each of its last three games (believed to be a first in school history).
- Fewer than 1,000 tickets remain for Sunday’s contest, as the Irish close in on the fourth sellout in program history.
No. 22/23 Irish Face Michigan Sunday At Nearly-Sold Out Joyce Center
Following one of the most explosive opening months in its history, No. 22/23 Notre Dame will continue its early-season success when it plays host to Michigan Sunday at 2 p.m. (ET) inside a nearly-sold out Joyce Center. The Irish are averaging a BIG EAST Conference-best 85 points per game in their first six outings and are outscoring their opponents by 30 points a night (second in the BIG EAST).
Notre Dame rang up a third consecutive 30-point victory for the first time in almost nine years with a 93-47 win over Canisius on Tuesday night at the Joyce Center. The Irish used a 14-0 run midway through the first half to blow the game wide open and forced the Golden Griffins to commit 29 turnovers en route to the victory.
Sophomore guard Ashley Barlow turned in a balanced effort for Notre Dame, posting game highs of 18 points, seven rebounds, a career-high six assists and four steals. Senior guard Charel Allen added 17 points and freshman forward Devereaux Peters came off the bench to chip in 12 points for the Irish.
Rankings
- Notre Dame is ranked 22nd in this week’s Associated Press poll and is ranked 23rd in the latest ESPN/USA Today poll.
- Michigan is not ranked.
A Quick Look At The Fighting Irish
Even after a 20-12 record and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2006-07, Notre Dame still continues to fly below the national radar. Head coach Muffet McGraw wouldn’t want it any other way.
Last year, the Irish learned quickly that respect is something that isn’t handed to you, but rather earned on the court. It’s also a quality that takes time to develop and doesn’t come from trophy cases or record books. So although Notre Dame was tabbed fifth in the preseason BIG EAST Conference balloting, it’s not a great concern to McGraw and her charges. Instead, they focus on the things they can control and prefer to let the outside world judge them when the season is over.
This year could prove to be unlike any in recent memory for Notre Dame. For one, the Irish will roll out some impressive depth, going virtually two-deep at every floor position. In addition, Notre Dame’s new offensive system (a Princeton-based set with four guards and a post) continues to evolve, building upon last year’s 70.1 point-per-game average that was its highest since the 2000-01 NCAA national championship season.
Senior guard Charel Allen is the top returning scorer and rebounder for the Irish, leading the team in both categories last year (17.0 ppg., 6.2 rpg.). She also was a first-team all-BIG EAST and WBCA honorable mention All-America selection, and was a finalist for the 2007 USA U21 World Championship Team that struck gold this past summer in Moscow.
Allen’s backcourt partner and classmate is point guard Tulyah Gaines. Now in her second full season at the helm of the Notre Dame offense, the speedy Gaines averaged 9.6 points per game along with team highs of 3.9 assists and 2.0 steals per contest. She also is a two-year team captain who commands instant respect from teammates, coaches and opponents.
The Irish will benefit from the return of junior guard Lindsay Schrader, who missed the entire 2006-07 season with a torn ACL in her right knee. Schrader, who retains three years of athletic eligibility, was Notre Dame’s second-leading scorer (10.5 ppg.) and top rebounder (5.4 rpg.) as a rookie in 2005-06 and will look to regain that form this season.
Last year saw Notre Dame break new ground by becoming the first school ever to put three players on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. Guards Ashley Barlow (10.3 ppg., 5.4 rpg.) and Melissa Lechlitner (6.3 ppg., 2.7 apg.) will provide a superb complement to the veteran Allen-Gaines tandem, while center Erica Williamson (6.1 ppg., 5.3 rpg., 1.3 bpg.) showed flashes of potential throughout her rookie season and is poised for increased development this year.
Headlining a three-player freshman class (ranked 11th nationally by Blue Star Basketball) is Devereaux Peters, a smooth 6-2 forward who was a consensus All-American as a senior last year at national powerhouse Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Ill. Fellow post Becca Bruszewski (Valparaiso, Ind.) finished third in last season’s Indiana Miss Basketball voting and was a perennial all-state pick. And, guard Brittany Mallory (Baltimore, Md.) offers a perimeter shooting threat, as well as a cerebral player who will mesh well in the Irish offensive system.
A Quick Look At Michigan
Consistency can be a major ingredient for success with any college basketball program. With that in mind, Michigan is definitely poised for upward mobility in the coming years.
The Wolverines have 13 letterwinners, including all five starters, back in the fold from last year’s club that went 10-20 overall and 3-13 in the Big Ten Conference. However, seven of UM’s losses were by single digits, and the Wolverines were only one game below .500 early in the conference season before closing the year with 11 losses in their final 13 games.
Hardened by some of the travails of the 2006-07 season, this year’s Michigan squad looks ready to put the past behind it and carve a new path for the program. The Wolverines are off to a solid start in that pursuit, jumping out to a 4-2 record this season despite playing its last five games away from home.
Michigan opened the season with three consecutive victories, including a 55-46 win at Notre Dame’s fellow BIG EAST Conference member Cincinnati back on Nov. 13. The Wolverines also posted an impressive 65-50 win at ACC member Miami (Fla.), then split a pair of games at the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament, losing to Iowa State (67-43), but bouncing back with a sharp 80-43 pasting of Belmont in the consolation game.
UM last took the court on Thursday night, dropping a 69-41 decision at No. 13/12 Texas A&M. The Wolverines found themselves in a deep early hole, falling behind 18-2 a little more than six minutes into the game, and they never completely recovered. Michigan got as close as 26-19 with less than three minutes to go in the first half, but Texas A&M responded with a 26-6 run that crossed over halftime and put the game away.
A pair of seniors — guard Janelle Cooper and center/forward Ta’Shia Walker — led the Wolverines with nine points apiece. Cooper also shared team-high rebounding honors with six boards for UM, which was charged with 33 turnovers and shot .308 from the floor.
Sophomore center Krista Phillips leads Michigan in scoring (10.5 ppg.), field goal percentage (.667) and blocked shots (1.5 bpg.) although she has not yet started a game this season. Cooper is second in scoring (9.2 ppg.) and rebounding (4.5 rpg.) while making a team-best 12-of-25 (.480) from the three-point line.
Head coach Kevin Borseth is in his first season at Michigan after a successful runs at Wisconsin-Green Bay (1998-99 to 2006-07), Michigan Tech (1987-88 to 1997-98) and Gogebic Community College in Ironwood, Mich. (1982-83 to 1986-87). He has a 510-212 (.706) career record in 26 years of coaching, although Sunday will mark his first matchup with Notre Dame.
The Notre Dame-Michigan Series
Notre Dame holds a slim 8-6 lead in the all-time series against Michigan, although the Irish have held a decided 6-1 advantage when the scene shifts to the Joyce Center. In fact, the home team has had a major edge in the rivalry, with UM winning four of six matchups in Ann Arbor, as well as the lone neutral-site meeting (a 2002 victory in Grand Rapids).
Notre Dame also has won four of the past five games and eight of the past 11 contests in the series with Michigan, since the Wolverines took the first three matchups with the Irish. The teams met annually from 1978-79 through 1985-86, but the rivalry then went dormant with the exception of a home-and-home series in 1991 and 1992.
The two sides renewed acquaintances with a pair of tournament contests — the Irish defeated Michigan, 88-54 in the second round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament (at the Joyce Center) before the Wolverines returned the favor the following year with a 78-63 triumph at the Women’s College Basketball Showcase in Grand Rapids.
The schools are in the third year of a four-year series, with Notre Dame having won the first two contests against UM (55-45 at the Joyce Center in 2005; 61-58 last year in Ann Arbor).
The Last Time Notre Dame And Michigan Met
It had been quite a while since the Notre Dame women’s basketball team won a game at Michigan’s Crisler Arena. However, the nearly 24-year wait turned out to be worth it on Dec. 1, 2006, as the Irish put together one of the more memorable comebacks in the program’s 30-year history.
Notre Dame went on a 10-2 run and forced three turnovers in the final 47.3 seconds to rally past Michigan, 61-58 before a noisy and hostile crowd of 3,817 in Ann Arbor. Tulyah Gaines canned both ends of a one-and-one free throw situation with 3.3 seconds to go, giving the Irish the lead, before Charel Allen added two huge security foul shots in the final second to secure the win.
Allen finished with a game-high 15 points and three steals, while Gaines chipped in 11 points and three thefts. Ashley Barlow played a pivotal role off the bench, coming up with 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds, along with three steals. As a team, the Irish (5-2) struggled to find their shooting touch (.355 for the night), but were sharp at the foul line when it counted, going 10-of-13 (.769) in the second half.
Notre Dame’s defense also turned out to be key on this night, as the Irish forced Michigan (5-3) into an opponent season-high 30 turnovers, with 15 of those coming on steals. The Irish also held the Wolverines to 58 points, their best defensive effort of the ’06-07 season to date. Janelle Cooper had 11 points and Krista Phillips added 10 points for UM, but Phillips, a 6-6 post, didn’t score during the final 30:48 of the contest.
Notre Dame took its largest lead of the evening (42-33) on an old-fashioned three-point play by Gaines with 13:34 to play. However, that margin evaporated during the next four minutes, with Michigan’s Stephany Skrba pulling her team alongside Notre Dame at 46-46 on two foul shots just past the midpoint of the second half.
After going bucket for bucket, the Wolverines nosed in front when Kayln McPherson slashed in for a layup with 5:29 left. UM then backed the Irish into a corner when Jessica Minnfield and Carly Benson hit bookend three-pointers around a layup by Notre Dame’s Erica Williamson, leaving Michigan with a crowd-pleasing 56-51 edge at the final media timeout. The assembled multitude didn’t know it at the time, but the Wolverines wouldn’t score another basket the rest of the way.
Still trailing by five with 1:01 left, Allen fouled Phillips to put UM in the double bonus situation. The Wolverine center missed both of her charities, and Barlow drew Notre Dame within two on a right-wing three-pointer with 47.3 seconds to go. Allen then stole the Michigan in-bounds pass under the Irish basket, but her reverse layup attempt hung tantalizing on the rim before falling out and the Wolverines drew a held ball (and the resulting possession arrow) with 40.9 ticks remaining.
Following a Michigan timeout, Notre Dame fouled Cooper, who converted one of her two foul shots to keep the Irish within one possession. Yet, Notre Dame’s fortunes seemed to dim when Gaines’ driving layup try was blocked by Phillips and the Irish guard then fouled UM’s Sireece Bass with 22.3 seconds left. Like Cooper, Bass made the front end of her two free throws, rebuilding a 58-54 Michigan lead.
Without a timeout, Gaines pushed into the front court and got the ball on the left wing to Allen, who buried a three-pointer with 10.9 seconds to go. Allen fouled Bass again on the inbounds (:07.5), but Bass missed both free throws, giving Notre Dame an opportunity. Gaines took advantage, navigating through the backtracking Michigan defense before Bass fouled her at the top of the key with 3.3 seconds to be played, putting the Wolverines over the limit and giving the Irish co-captain a one-and-one free throw possibility.
With the crowd reaching a fever pitch, Gaines coolly stepped to the foul line and found nothing but net on her first free throw. The bonus toss was a little more ticklish, hanging on the front lip of the rim for an instant before tipping softly into the twine. Michigan, which also had exhausted its prescribed number of timeouts, tried to advance the ball to midcourt, but Melinda Queen was called for traveling after making the catch at the timeline with two seconds left. Allen took the subsequent inbounds pass, was fouled and hit two free throws with a scant 0.7 seconds to go, leaving the Wolverines with a baseball pass down the floor, which was picked off as the horn sounded.
The Last Time Notre Dame And Michigan Met At The Joyce Center
Most of Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw’s previous 499 career victories looked a lot better than win No. 500. She will take the 55-45 victory on Nov. 18, 2005 over Michigan just the same, especially after seeing Charel Allen return from a knee injury in the 2005 NCAA Tournament to lead the 15th-ranked Irish with 16 points and Lindsay Schrader get 10 points and 14 rebounds in her debut.
McGraw became the 27th women’s coach with 500 wins and the 10th to accomplish the feat before turning 50. Three other active BIG EAST coaches also won 500 before 50: Rutgers’ C. Vivian Stringer, Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma and Villanova’s Harry Perretta.
It looked for a while like McGraw might have to wait for the milestone victory with the Irish offense struggling. But Allen scored inside with 13:39 left to start a 12-3 run, during which she scored six points as the Irish went ahead 42-38. The Irish opened a 49-43 lead when Allen hit a 16-footer.
The 14 rebounds by Schrader were the most by an Irish player since Jacqueline Batteast had 18 against Connecticut nearly three years earlier. Melissa D’Amico added 10 points for the Irish. Ta’Shia Walker led Michigan with 16 points and nine rebounds, making her first six shots before missing the final four. The Irish outrebounded the Wolverines 54-33.
Other Notre Dame-Michigan Series Tidbits
- If history is a guide, Notre Dame’s defensive effort could be a key indicator in the outcome of Sunday’s game. In their eight victories over Michigan, the Irish have held the Wolverines to less than 60 points seven times (only exception: 76-71 on Dec. 5, 1985 at the Joyce Center). Conversely, in UM’s six series wins, it has tallied at least 75 points on five occasions (only exception: 66-60 in overtime on Dec. 8, 1979 at the Joyce Center).
- Last year’s 61-58 Irish win was the closest by either side in the series and the first Notre Dame victory in Ann Arbor since Dec. 12, 1982, when the Irish won by virtually the same score (62-58).
- The aggregate point total in the 14-game series remains razor thin, with Notre Dame scoring 934 points and Michigan logging 932 points.
- Notre Dame is 49-19 (.721) all-time against teams from the state of Michigan, including a 30-6 (.833) record away from home. The Irish also are 29-7 (.806) against the Great Lakes State in the Muffet McGraw era (1987-present). Notre Dame has won its last six games against Michigan schools, since an 82-73 overtime loss to Michigan State on Dec. 2, 2004 at the Joyce Center. Last year, the Irish won a pair of home games against Michigan institutions, defeating Central Michigan (88-66) and Western Michigan (87-67). Sunday’s game is the second of two this season for Notre Dame against Michigan teams, following a 94-41 Irish win at CMU on Nov. 20.
- The two head coaches both rank among the top 25 active NCAA Division I coaches in terms of winning percentage. Michigan’s Kevin Borseth has a winning percentage of .735 (NCAA four-year schools only) that stands 16th among current skippers, while Notre Dame’s Muffet McGraw has a .710 career winning percentage that puts her 21st among active Division I coaches.
- The state of Michigan has been home to 14 Notre Dame women’s basketball players during the past 31 years. That’s second only to Indiana (18) for the most players from one state in program history. The Irish will add two more Michigan natives to their roster next season, as Ionia’s Kellie Watson and Oak Park’s Erica Solomon become the first Michigan residents to play women’s basketball at Notre Dame since 2000, when Ann Arbor’s Julie Henderson completed her Irish career.
Notre Dame vs. The Big Ten Conference
Notre Dame is 34-46 (.425) all-time against the Big Ten Conference, including a 19-16 (.543) record at home. The Irish also are 27-32 (.458) against the Big Ten in the Muffet McGraw era (14-11, .560 at home) and have won seven of their last 11 games against that league.
Michigan is the first of two Big Ten teams on Notre Dame’s ’07-08 schedule, with the Irish slated to visit Purdue next Saturday (Dec. 8) in a 4 p.m. (ET) game that will be broadcast regionally on the Big Ten Network. Last season, Notre Dame split four games against the Big Ten, winning at Michigan (61-58) and home vs. Purdue (67-58), while losing at Penn State (75-49) and home vs. Indiana (54-51).
Thirty Deeds
Four of Notre Dame’s five wins this season have come by at least 30 points, while the Irish held a 32-point lead midway through the second half of the fourth victory (a 78-59 conquest of Western Kentucky on Nov. 13). This marks the first time in school history that Notre Dame has fashioned four 30-point wins in its first six games.
It’s also the first time since the 2000-01 national championship season that the Irish have logged at least four 30-point wins in a single season. That year, Notre Dame collected a school-record 10 30-point victories, but only two of those came in the first six games.
What’s more, the Irish are on a current streak of three consecutive 30-point wins. The last time Notre Dame did that was Jan. 20-30, 1999, when the Irish had four straight 30-point victories, all during BIG EAST Conference play — at Seton Hall (87-47), home vs. St. John’s (99-60), at Syracuse (94-61) and at Providence (97-59).
Put A Tiger In Your Tank
Less than two seasons after posting the program’s lowest scoring output (64.5 ppg) since 1980-81, Notre Dame has reversed that trend in a big way.
The Irish currently lead the BIG EAST Conference in scoring at 85.0 points per game, having tallied at least 78 points in each of their five wins. What’s more, Notre Dame also has the second-highest scoring average after six games in program history, topped only by the 1998-99 squad (85.2 ppg.), which went on to post a single-season school record with an 81.0-ppg. scoring average.
Notre Dame also ranks second in the conference in scoring margin, outpointing its opposition by 30.0 points per night.
Spreading The Wealth
One of the hallmarks of Notre Dame’s squad this season is its balance and depth. That’s been particularly evident through the first eight games of the season (counting the exhibitions), with six different players from all five floor positions and all four classes leading the team in scoring.
Double Trouble
Another example of Notre Dame’s balance this season is seen in its point distribution. No fewer than nine of the 11 Irish players on this year’s roster have scored in double figures at least once this season, with only sophomore center Erica Williamson and senior guard Amanda Tsipis yet to crack the 10-point mark.
Notre Dame also has had at least five double-figure scorers in the past three games. It’s believed to be the first time in school history (and certainly the first time in the Muffet McGraw era) the Irish have pulled off that feat, although records are incomplete prior to the 1983-84 season.
Protecting The Pill
Notre Dame has gotten off to a strong start this season, thanks in large part to its ability to take care of the basketball. The Irish are averaging just 12.3 turnovers per game and have yet to commit more than 16 giveaways this year. On the flip side, Notre Dame is forcing 24.7 turnovers per night, resulting in a BIG EAST Conference-best +12.33 turnover margin (a full +5.33 better than second-place Connecticut).
The Irish took ball protection to a new level in their loss at No. 3 Maryland on Nov. 16. Notre Dame set a school record with only three turnovers against the Terrapins, with two of those giveaways coming on offensive fouls. The previous school record for fewest turnovers was six, set on Feb. 12, 2006 at DePaul.
With only three turnovers, it’s probably comes as no surprise that Maryland did not register a steal against Notre Dame. However, what is surprising is that it was the first time in the 31-year history of the Irish program that an opponent did not record a steal against Notre Dame. Several opponents had only one steal vs. the Irish, with the most recent being Boston College on March 19, 2006 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament (played at West Lafayette, Ind.).
Keeping It On The Plus Side
Notre Dame has registered a positive assist-to-turnover ratio in five of its six games this season, only finding the red in its Nov. 13 win over Western Kentucky (12 assists, 15 turnovers).
For the year, the Irish rank second in the BIG EAST with a 1.49 assist-to-turnover ratio, trailing only second-ranked Connecticut (1.63). Notre Dame also has assisted on 53.1 percent of its field goals this year (110 assists on 207 baskets), ranking third in the conference with 18.33 assists per game.
Off And Running
Notre Dame has wasted little time in jumping ahead of its opponents this season. In four of their five wins, the Irish have opened up a double-digit lead less than 10 minutes into the game, while a 20-0 run late in the first half at Central Michigan put that victory on ice as well.
Even in its lone defeat at third-ranked Maryland, Notre Dame made a statement early with a 10-0 run in the first five minutes of action and led by as many as five points in the first half before the Terrapins rallied back for the win.
Polling Station
Notre Dame is ranked 22nd in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll, climbing one spot from the previous survey.
Notre Dame now has been ranked in the AP poll for 143 weeks during the program’s history, with every one of those appearances coming in the Muffet McGraw era. McGraw now ranks 14th among all active NCAA Division I head coaches for weeks in the AP poll, and with this week’s poll selection, she moves into sole possession of 25th place all-time in that category, breaking a tie with retired Colorado mentor Ceal Barry.
The Irish also are appearing in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll for the third consecutive week on Nov. 20, checking in at No. 23 after placing 24th in the previous poll.
(Nearly) Crowded House
Fewer than 1,000 tickets remain for Sunday’s game against Michigan at the Joyce Center. Should those remaining tickets get snapped up, it would mark the fourth sellout in program history and the first since Dec. 31, 2005, when a capacity crowd of 11,418 fans watched the Irish battle top-ranked Tennessee to the wire before falling, 62-51.
Even if not another ticket is sold for the Michigan game, it already will go down as the fourth-largest crowd in school history and the fourth audience of 10,000 fans in the Notre Dame women’s basketball record books. A full rundown of the top crowds in Joyce Center history can be found in the sidebar on page 7 of this notes package.
No Easy Road
Notre Dame has always played a difficult schedule, using it as a means of preparation for future tests in both the BIG EAST Conference and the postseason. However, this year’s slate could be one of the more rugged ones in recent memory.
With the addition of third-ranked Maryland to the docket in the Preseason WNIT semifinals, the Irish now will face four of the top five teams (including the top three) in the latest Associated Press poll. Still to come this season are No. 1 Tennessee (Jan. 5 at the Joyce Center), No. 2 Connecticut (Jan. 27 at the Joyce Center) and No. 5 Rutgers (Feb. 19 in Piscataway, N.J.). The top three teams in the poll have combined to win three of the past four national championships, with Tennessee currently holding the hardware.
Leave The Driving To Us
The Nov. 20 game at Central Michigan was the first of only four road contests for the Irish prior to the end of the calendar year. Even more notable — all four road games will be played no further than 200 miles from the Notre Dame campus, either within the state of Indiana or in neighboring states (Michigan or Ohio).
Irish Fans Crave A Big Mac Attack
Notre Dame has introduced a new promotion this season, offering fans a coupon for a free Big Mac from South Bend-area McDonald’s restaurants if the Irish score at least 88 points in a game. The coupons are issued at the Joyce Center gates as fans leave the arena following the game.
This season’s burger watch already is at five, as the Irish have hit the 88-point mark in exhibition wins over Southern Indiana and Hillsdale, as well as regular-season victories over Miami (Ohio), Boston College and Canisius.
It’s probably also not a surprise that the Notre Dame player with the most “Big Mac baskets” this season has the same initials as that of the tasty burger — freshman guard Brittany Mallory, who has sent the crowd home happy (and presumably with full bellies) three times, including the past two home games.
Promotional Corner
Here’s a rundown of some upcoming promotions and giveaways at future Notre Dame women’s basketball games this season. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the Irish athletics ticket office (second floor of the Joyce Center through Gate 1; 574-631-7356), on game day at the Gate 10 ticket windows of the Joyce Center, or via the Internet at Notre Dame’s official athletics web site (UND.com). Please note — additional promotions and giveaways may be added at a later date, so consult the Notre Dame promotions web site (www.notredamepromotions.com) for the latest information:
- Dec. 2 vs. Michigan — Take A Kid To The Game Day ($3 tickets for all kids) … Girl Scout Day … Clancy’s Kids Club Day (free admission to Kids Club members and up to three guests) … Irish women’s basketball sophomore/junior trading cards to first 1,000 fans, courtesy of WBND-TV … post-game autograph session courtside with selected Notre Dame players.
Next Game: Bowling Green
Notre Dame heads back on the road for a pair of games next week, beginning Wednesday with a 7 p.m. (ET) contest at Bowling Green. The Irish and Falcons will look to duplicate last year’s thrilling contest, which was one of the highlights of the non-conference season, with Notre Dame outlasting BG, 85-81 in overtime at the Joyce Center.
Despite losing six seniors, including four starters, from last year’s NCAA Sweet 16 club, Bowling Green is a perfect 6-0 this year after winning the Cornell Classic with a 70-54 win over the host school on Saturday afternoon. The Falcons will be hosting Notre Dame for the first time since Nov. 23, 1996, when the Irish claimed an 85-70 win at Anderson Arena.
— ND —