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GM 26 Preview: Battle in the ATL

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

ATLANTA – It’s a top-20 battle in the ATL with big ACC Tournament implications as No. 19 Notre Dame women’s basketball challenges No. 16 Georgia Tech. The Fighting Irish (19-6, 10-4) and the Yellow Jackets (19-6, 10-4) are tied for fourth place in the standings with the top-4 teams at the end of the season earning a coveted double-bye. A win would give the Irish an edge in tiebreakers against both Georgia Tech and third-place Virginia Tech, whom they beat earlier in February.

Notre Dame and Georgia Tech tip-off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 17 inside McCamish Pavilion.

HOMECOMING

On Feb 16, Maya Dodson celebrated her 23rd birthday. A day later, she gets a homecoming against Georgia Tech with full family and friends in attendance. Dodson grew up in Alpharetta, Georgia, just a mere 28 minutes north of Atlanta. Dodson’s parents surprised her at the team hotel the night before with gifts, balloons and dessert.

THE SERIES

Notre Dame won the opening 13 contests in the series before Georgia Tech got its first win in December of last season. The Irish got one back a few weeks later in January of 2021 in what was the closest game of the series to date, with ND winning 69-67. 

Dara Mabrey produced another big second half for the Irish, where she scored 14 of her 16 points. In fact, Mabrey scored 10 in the fourth quarter alone, including two critical three-pointers. Maddy Westbeld also finished in double figures with 11 points, while Anaya Peoples stuffed the stat sheet with seven points, seven boards and a career-high tying six assists.

IN THE NET + BRACKETOLOGY

In the updated NCAA committee projections (before the UL loss), 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 Wednesday morning, ND checked in at No. 20, fifth best in the ACC behind No. 2 NC State, No. 4 Louisville, No. 5 North Carolina and No. 13 Virginia Tech.

Against the NET top-25, the Irish are 3-3. Against the top-50 they are 5-4 and against the top-100 they are 14-6. Thus no losses outside the NET top-100. 

6X ACC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

Guard Sonia Citron claimed ACC Freshman of the Week 4 times in the first 6 weeks of play, and now boasts 6 on the year, making her a favorite for ACC Freshman of the Year. 

Citron tied 2019 alumna Brianna Turner for the program record with six ACC FOTW honors. Going back into the program’s Big East days, both Jacqueline Batteast (01-02) and Alicia Ratay (99-00) were each six-time winners as well.

In addition, her six ACC Freshman of the Week honors are the most by a student-athlete since North Carolina’s Janelle Bailey had seven during the 2017-18 campaign.

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 4th in assists. No other freshman in the league ranks in the top-4 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 19.0. 

Citron is 1-of-3 freshman in the entire country averaging at least 11 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists and 1 steal — the 2 others: Olivia Miles and Harvard’s Harmoni Turner. Thus, reiterating the fact she’s in rare freshman company and the most complete freshman in the ACC. 

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 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?!

Maya Dodson –> she’s totaled 6 double-doubles on the season and they all have come in the last 10 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 13 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 9 of the last 10 games. 

Lastly, ther3e’s Westbeld -after recording five single-digit games in a six-game stretch, Maddy has emerged with a combined 43 points over the last 3 games. 

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 third in the NATION in assists per game as a FRESHMAN, averaging 7.0/game. However, Miles is more than just stylish assists and great vision, she’s a dynamic playmaker.

Miles leads the team in scoring (13.8), leads the team in steals (1.8) and just so happens to reel in 6.1 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. 

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.

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 (2.1) 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 7.1 rebounds/game in ACC play, which ranks 10th in the league. Meanwhile, her 5.6 defensive boards/game in ACC play ranks 5th. 

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 (5.2) & 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 1.8 while Citron checks in with 1.5.

— ND —