BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – It was heartbreak and disbelief for the Notre Dame women’s basketball team in the Sweet 16 round vs one-seed NC State. The Fighting Irish (24-9) led the whole second half until the final 14 seconds of the game, when Wolfpack player Raina Perez recorded a timely steal and go-ahead layup. The Irish boasted an eight-point lead with 6:41 remaining and had a four-point lead with 1:42 left.
Olivia Miles put on a show with 21 points on 9-of-19 shooting to go with six rebounds and six assists. Maddy Westbeld also impressed with her 13 points and eight rebounds, but more so on her defense against Elissa Cunane.
Notre Dame outshot NC State, 50 to their 40 percent, but a huge difference maker was the fact that a third of the Wolfpack’s points came off Irish turnovers.
How It Happened
Notre Dame got off to a 7-3 start before NC State fired off a 7-0 run in 71 seconds. Miles ended the Wolfpack spree with a three to tie the game at 10-all. NC State’s Brown-Turner shot 4-of-5 in the period to total eight points to give her squad a 16-12 lead after one. Miles led the Irish with seven points on 3-of-5 shooting.
The Irish turned it on in the second quarter, where they started 8-for-8 from the field. Peoples scored six points in the opening five minutes while Miles, Mabrey and Westbeld each hit consecutive three-pointers.
Miles wooed the crowd with a dynamic driving layup at the 4:24 mark then followed that up with her third three of the half, which gave the Irish a 36-26 lead. NC State’s Elissa Cunane scored back-to-back buckets for the Wolfpack, but Westbeld had the last score of the half, giving the Irish a 38-30 halftime lead.
Notre Dame finished 10-of-13 in the second quarter to build the eight-point halftime advantage. Miles led all players with 15 points (eight in the second) on 6-of-10 shooting with three assists. On the flipside, NC State scored 20 of its 30 points in the paint and eight second-chance points off six offensive boards.
Notre Dame and NC State traded blows in the third quarter. Citron scored the last five points for the Irish to maintain a lead up 53-46.
NC State started the fourth with five straight points thanks to an and-one, making it a one-possession game. Miles answered with a driving lay-up out of the timeout. Westbeld then got a steal and delivered on a breakaway layup, followed later by a put-back from Dodson, pushing the lead to 59-51 with 6:41 left in the game.
However, a Crutchfield layup coupled with three costly ND turnovers led to four straight free-throws from Cunane, which once again made it a one-possession game.
Fast forward to 1:42 remaining and Miles connected on another driving layup, keeping the Wolfpack momentarily at bay up 63-59.
Out of a timeout with 36 seconds left, Notre Dame inbounded the ball up one, but NC State’s Raina Perez picked the ball off a player’s hands then drove down for the go-ahead layup. The Irish took another timeout and got a good look at an open three-point shot, but it didn’t fall as NC State escaped with the win.
— ND —