| GAME 14 | BOSTON COLLEGE AT NOTRE DAME |
|---|---|
| WHEN: | SUNDAY, JAN. 1 | 12 PM E.T. |
| WHERE: | SOUTH BEND, IN | PURCELL PAVILION |
| WATCH: | ACC NETWORK |
| LISTEN: | NOTRE DAME RADIO NETWORK | CLICK HERE |
| NOTES: | ND NOTES |
| SOCIAL: | @NDWBB | #GOIRISH |
| TICKETS: | Buy Tickets |
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — No. 5 Notre Dame (11-1, 2-0) has survived a couple of close calls on the road in its first two ACC games, but now it’s time to play host. Longtime rival Boston College (11-4, 1-1) will visit the fifth-ranked Irish on Sunday to ring in 2023.
The Irish are riding a five-game win streak, one which includes wins over ranked UConn and Virginia Tech teams. Guard Olivia Miles continues to be the eye-popping star at the center of the offense, but a whole cast of characters has contributed to Notre Dame’s first top-five ranking since 2019.
Junior Maddy Westbeld has led the Irish in scoring the last two times out, posting 23 points against Western Michigan on Dec. 21 and 15 against Miami on Thursday. She also grabbed 11 rebounds against the Hurricanes, notching her first double-double of the year and the sixth of her three-season Irish tenure.
“She’s in great shape, assertive and confident,” Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey said earlier this week. “Since UConn, she’s really finding her spots. She’s playing really well on both sides of the ball.”
The new blood is an exciting watch for Irish fans as well. Freshman KK Bransford is tied for second in the conference in points per game amongst freshmen bench players (7.2), and early enrollee Cassandre Prosper made her first appearance for the Irish against Miami. In just three minutes of play, the 6-2 guard out of Montreal, Quebec had a defensive rebound and a block.
On the topic of freshmen, Boston College has one of the best in the ACC. Rookie Taina Mair is averaging 10.3 points and 7.3 assists each time she takes the court. She is one of two players in the conference posting at least 7.0 assists per game. The other is Miles.
Guard Dontavia Waggoner is Boston College’s leader in points (13.3), rebounds (7.1) and steals (3.3). Not unlike Notre Dame, the Eagles have an incredibly balanced offense; six players are averaging double-digit points.
Where the teams greatly differ is in overall roster makeup. Mair is one of five freshmen on the team, making up one of the nation’s youngest rosters. Boston College is one of two Power Five teams (Utah) with zero seniors or fifth-year players. Ivey and Co., will look to exploit that weakness with a more veteran group.
Notre Dame is 26-9 all-time against Boston College and 16-1 at home. The teams split their two games last year, with the Irish winning the last meeting 74-61 on Jan. 30, 2022. Sunday’s game tips off at Purcell Pavilion at noon ET and will be televised on the ACC Network.