SOUTH BEND, Ind. — No. 7 Notre Dame (6-0) is averaging a 27.5-point margin of victory over its six opponents thus far. On Thursday, the team will have its first opportunity to show if it can continue that dominance against a ranked team.
As part of the 2022 ACC/B1G Challenge, the No. 20/21 Maryland Terrapins (6-2) are coming to town for a 6:30 p.m. ET showdown on ESPN2.
On paper, Notre Dame has the edge in this matchup. The Irish have the ACC’s top scoring offense (90.0 points per game) and lead the country with 23 made free throws every time they take the court. They rank inside of the top 15 nationally in rebounding margin, rebounds per game, field goal percentage and scoring margin.
But a Brenda Frese-coached Maryland team is not to be overlooked. The head coach, who is in her 21st year in College Park, has reached the Final Four twice in the last decade and has one of the better women’s basketball teams in the nation year after year.
While the season is in its infancy, there are numerous statistical similarities between Notre Dame and Maryland. The Irish force 16 turnovers per contest and score 18 points per game as a result of said turnovers. For Maryland, it’s 18 and 17.5, respectively. Both teams are excellent when it comes to defensive rebounds; the Irish average 31.5 per game, while Maryland is currently posting 28.3 defensive boards every time they take the court.
There is one glaring weakness for both squads, however. Not unlike Notre Dame, Maryland has struggled to defend against the three this season. The Terps rank 214th nationally and allow a 31.2 success rate behind the arc. For reference, the Irish sit at No. 208 (31.1 percent) in the same category.
Whoever continues to force turnovers and successfully guards against three-point buckets is likely to walk away from the top-20 matchup with a seventh victory.
Regarding Irish personnel, several players enter this week with a hot hand. While Olivia Miles leads the team with 16.0 points per game, at least five of Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey’s players have been in double figures for the last three games. Center Lauren Ebo posted a career-high 20 points against Arizona State on Saturday.
Diamond Miller is the star of the show for the Terps, averaging 17.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. She was a member of the All-Big Ten Second Team in 2022 and was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 21.
Additionally, keep an eye on Maryland’s three-point specialist and Princeton transfer Abby Meyers, who is .500 from three this season. Her 16 threes through eight games ranks second in the Big Ten and 28th in the country.
The ACC/B1G Challenge will begin for the NCAA women’s teams on Wednesday evening. In addition to a ranked-versus-ranked matchup between the Irish and the Terps, there are three other ranked matchups as part of the lat rendition of the annual event: No. 4 Ohio State at No. 18 Louisville; No. 6 North Carolina at No. 5 Indiana; and No. 12 NC State at No. 10 Iowa.
Beth Mowins and Debbie Antonelli will be on the call for ESPN2 on Thursday.