| NCAA Bridgeport Regional: | #5 Seed Notre Dame |
|---|---|
| Where: | Bridgeport, CT | Total Mortgage Arena |
| Listen: | 99.9 WQLQ-FM | ND Radio Network |
| Notes: | ND Notes |
| Social: | @NDWBB |
| Sweet 16: | #1 seed NC State |
| When: | Saturday, March 26 | 11:30 am ET |
| Watch: | ESPN |
| Elite 8: | #2 seed UConn or #3 seed Indiana |
| When: | Monday, March 28 | TBD |
LOUISVILLE – When Notre Dame women’s basketball turns the page to February hoops, that has typically meant one thing over the past few years – a double dose of Louisville awaits as the rivalry gets renewed. It’ll be a top-20 showdown inside the KFC Yum! Center on Sunday, Feb. 13, as the No. 18 Fighting Irish look to pick up another signature win at the No. 3 ranked Cardinals’ expense. Tip is set for 2 p.m. ET, airing live on ESPN.
RIVALRY CONTINUED
The Cardinals have had the Irish’s number as of late, winning four straight and six of the last eight. Notre Dame’s last win against UL was for the 2019 ACC Tournament crown in Greensboro.
Last year at Louisville, Notre Dame came close. The Irish stormed back down 11 points in the fourth quarter and had a chance to take the lead after a Maddy Westbeld steal and fast-break pull-up jumper, but the freshman’s shot fell short, as the Cardinals pushed ahead for the 71-65 victory. Olivia Miles, in her first month practicing with the team, was able to record 10 points.
IN THE NET + BRACKETOLOGY
In the updated NCAA committee projections, ND was picked as the 14th best team in the country and a four-seed in the Spokane Regional.
In terms of the NET, as of Saturday morning, ND checked in at No. 16, fourth-best in the ACC behind No. 2 NC State, No. 4 Louisville and No. 14 Virginia Tech.
Against the NET top-25, the Irish are 3-2. Against the top-50 they are 4-3 and against the top-100 they are 13-5. Thus no losses outside the NET top-100.
5 WEAPONS – ANY GIVEN DAY
The Irish currently have five players averaging double-figures, all between 14 and 10, really showcasing the depth of this year’s team. In terms of all Power-Five schools, only one other program can claim that they have five averaging double figures as well – Syracuse.
Notre Dame has done a great job spreading the wealth, leading the ACC and ranking 13th in the nation in assists/game (17.6). They have twice this season dished out 30+.
DODSON PLAYING HER WAY INTO DPOTY CONVO
Her teammates might joke she’s the grandma of the team but the emphasis was on the first half of the word – Grand. Dodson was the MVP in the win over No. 3 NC State on Feb. 1 – recording a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double, all while putting All-American Elissa Cunane in foul trouble for most of the game and at bay with just 13 points.
Dodson got emotional in the post-game presser, “I lead by example, so every time I go out there, every time I’m in front of these fans, I want to show how much passion and hard work and appreciation we have for them. Last year I wasn’t able to play. No matter how much I’m hurting, I got to go out there and play. This means so much for me.”
Then two nights later, Dodson made one of the top-scorers in the ACC and a LIsa Leslie Award finalist, Elizabeth Kitley, a non-factor – holding her to 10 points under her season average.
WHO’S HOT?!
The answer – Maya Dodson. She’s totaled six double-doubles on the season and they all have come in the last nine games. Furthermore, two have been 20-point, 10-rebound double-doubles. Not to mention, she’s registered double-digit points 11 times over the last 12 games. Dodson is shooting 49.7 percent from the field during ACC play, which ranks 2nd in the league.
In a nearby second place, there’s Sonia Citron. The freshman has scored in double figures in eight in the last nine games. In addition, due to her recent free throw surge, she now ranks first in the ACC, converting 87.1 percent from the line.
MILES ATTRACTING EYEBALLS AND WATCH LISTS
Within a week span, Miles played herself onto two prestigious watch lists. First, it was the Nancy Lieberman Award top-10, recognizing the best 10 point guards this season. Shortly after, she was named to the Naismith Trophy Midseason Team, recognizing the top-25 players in the country, regardless of position.
Notre Dame’s point guard ranks second in the NATION in assists per game as a FRESHMAN, averaging 7.3/game. However, Miles is more than just stylish assists and great vision, she’s a dynamic playmaker.
Miles leads the team in scoring (13.9), leads the team in steals (1.9) and just so happens to reel in 6.0 boards/game.
Miles and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark are the only players in the country averaging at least 13 points / 6 rebounds / 7 assists. She simply does it all.
And by the way, she boasts seven double-doubles on the year, which ranks 4th in the ACC and 2nd among all Division I freshmen. And of those seven, one of them is a triple-double, as Miles became just the 2nd Irish freshman in program history to do so.
THE DUTCHESS OF DIMES
The top freshman passer in the country is putting up assist numbers the program has rarely seen. Miles’ 7.3 apg would finish 4th all-time, with the top-three spots currently belonging to:
1. Mary Gavin 8.7 1987-88
2. Mary Gavin 7.9 1986-87
3. Lindsay Allen 7.6 2016-17
The most total assists in a season belong to Lindsay Allen at 282 (2016-17).
The highest assist average for a freshman at ND was 4.5 by Mary Gavin in 1984-85.
Miles boasts 5 double-digit assist performances on the year. All other players in the ACC have combined for two.
SHOT OF CITRON IN THE 4TH
In terms of needed offensive surges in the fourth aka crunch time, look no further than Sonia Citron. The freshman has turned it on as of late as evidenced below:
Strong 4th quarters within the last month: 8 of her 15 vs Miami // 6 of her 15 at FSU // 10 of her 13 vs Syracuse // 8 of her 12 vs Pitt.
20-PIECE ON HER 20TH
Nothing like some birthday mojo to help you get out of a shooting funk. On her 20th birthday, Maddy Westbeld went off for 21 points vs Miami on Feb. 10. The sophomore converted a career-best four made three’s, going 4-for-5.
The bigger picture: After recording five single-digit games in a six-game stretch, Maddy has emerged with a combined 33 points over the last two games. In addition, the three-ball is falling, as she is connecting on 6-of-7 from beyond the arc over those two games.
CLEAN SWEEP
For the fifth time in program history, Notre Dame swept a conference’s player and freshman weekly honors. On Jan. 31, the ACC named Olivia Miles its Player of the Week and Sonia Citron its Freshman of the Week. It marked the second time ever Notre Dame swept the weekly honors in the ACC. In addition, Citron earned her fifth ACC freshman award this season, the most of any player thus far.
ACC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR RACE
When it comes to Freshman-Only ACC rankings — Citron ranks 2nd in scoring (by a point), 1st in rebounding and 3rd in assists. No other freshman in the league ranks in the top-3 in all 3 categories. In fact, Citron has the highest PTS+REB+AST/Game of any ACC freshman with her 19.8 compared to Day-Wilson’s 19.1.
FRESHMEN DUO SENSATION
Therefore, Notre Dame doesn’t just have one, but two super freshmen in Citron and Miles who will be the building blocks for years to come.
ESPN Women’s Hoops put both Miles and Citron on their midseason top-10 freshman list. Miles was ranked No. 2, while Citron checked in at No. 6. Notre Dame was the only program with two freshmen on the list.
In fact, Notre Dame is the only Power-Five school with two freshmen averaging double figures. Furthermore, there’s only one other school in Division I with 2 freshmen averaging at least 11 ppg – Pacific – Anaya James and Elizabeth Elliot.
A 6-1 versatile guard, Citron does it all for Coach Ivey and is arguably the toughest player on the team. She’s averaging an impressive 11.4 points while ranking 2nd on the team in rebounds (6.3), 3rd in assists (2.2) and 2nd in steals (1.5).
Sonia has become ND’s best rebounding guard with 6.3 boards/game, which ranks 2nd on the team and 13th in the ACC. She’s reeling in 7.2 rebounds/game in ACC play, which ranks 9th in the league. Meanwhile, her 5.3 defensive boards/game in ACC play ranks 6th.
Then there’s Olivia Miles, who has already been detailed above. Ultimately, Miles ranks in the top-15 in the ACC in 6 different stat categories: Scoring, FG%, Assists, Steals, A/TO Ratio and Defensive Rebounds. Best of any Irish player.
ND’s 2 freshmen are its top two in Defensive-Rebounds/Game — Miles (5.3) & Citron (4.7). Both rank in the ACC in the top-10. The two are also the team’s top two steal getters as Miles averages 1.9 while Citron checks in with 1.5.
All-in-all, there are only 3 freshmen in the entire country averaging at least 11 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists and 1 steal, and two belong to ND. The other is Harvard’s Harmoni Turner.
HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS
Kudos to Coach Ivey and her staff and their ability to stress certain halftime adjustments. The third quarter has been Notre Dame’s best all year, outscoring its opposition by over 120 points! The gap currently sits at 510-379. In points per quarter, it’s 21.21-15.8.
— ND —