| 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 |
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – On Tuesday night inside Purcell Pavilion, it’ll be undefeated 9-0 at home versus 10-0 in the ACC. It’ll be No. 20 Notre Dame women’s basketball (16-4, 7-2) versus No. 3 NC State (19-2, 10-0). Tuesday’s contest will be an ‘Irish Wear Green’ game, as Notre Dame looks to green out Purcell. Tip is set for 7 p.m. ET, streaming live on ACCNX.
PROTECT THIS HOUSE
The Irish played a home game against Pitt on Dec. 19, not knowing that they would play only one more at home over the course of the next 5.5 weeks. At long last, the Irish finally return to Purcell for a pivotal four-game homestand.
After wins over Syracuse and Boston College, Notre Dame improved to 9-0 at home – its best start since the 2017-18 national championship season (they went 15-0 at home). In terms of undefeated ACC teams at home, it’s just Notre Dame and Louisville (11-0).
In terms of other P5’s: Baylor in the Big 12, Michigan in the B1G, South Carolina in the SEC and Arizona in the Pac-12.
ND AGAINST TOP-RANKED OPPOSITION
Notre Dame is 23-64 all-time against teams ranked in the top-5. Versus the top-10, the Irish are 66-95. The last time the Irish knocked off a top-five team at home – No. 2 Louisville, 82-68.
5 WEAPONS – ANY GIVEN DAY
The Irish currently have five players averaging double-figures, all between 13 and 11, 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.
Also look no further than three of ND’s last four games (BC, Pitt and Syracuse) – in which at least five players finished in double figures.
Notre Dame has done a great job spreading the wealth, leading the ACC and ranking 12th in the nation in assists/game (17.9). They have twice this season dished out 30+.
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.
Miles averaged 23.5 points, 7.5 assists and 7.0 rebounds to help lead Notre Dame to a 2-0 week. She narrowly missed tallying her second triple double of the season in last Thursday’s 83-62 victory against Syracuse. Miles scored 17 points with 10 rebounds and nine assists to chart her seventh double-double of the season, which is tied for the third most in the conference.
Meanwhile, Citron averaged 13.5 points and 8.0 rebounds to help Notre Dame improve to 16-4 overall and 7-2 in ACC play. Citron notched 13 points and pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds against Syracuse and scored 10 of her 13 points in the fourth quarter. Citron then logged her fifth straight double-digit scoring game against BC with 14 points and four rebounds.
30-PIECE -ELITE COMPANY
Olivia Miles took over the game vs Boston College on Jan. 30, pouring in a career high 30 points while dishing out six assists. She also hit a career high 4-for-8 from three.
Miles became the fifth different Irish freshman to score 30 or more points in a game, with Alicia Ratay holding the high mark of 32 set back on Dec. 4, 1999. The full list includes: Arike Ogunbowale (30 vs Central Michigan on 11/11/16), Skylar Diggins-Smith (31 vs Vermont on 3/23/10), Sam Brunelle (31 vs Depaul on 12/11/19) and Alicia Ratay (32 vs UNC on 12/4/99).
Miles became the fourth Irish player to record 30 points and five-plus assists in a single game, joining Diggins-Smith, Ogunbowale and Jewell Loyd.
Furthermore, it marked the fourth time a freshman has posted a 30-point, five-plus assist performance in the ACC since ND joined in 2013 – list is now Miles, Elizabeth Balogun, Tiana Mangakahia and Lexie Brown.
NANCY LIEBERMAN AWARD WATCH LIST?
To all Nancy Lieberman Award committee members – you probably should be paying attention to Olivia Miles. Notre Dame’s point guard ranks second in the NATION in assists per game as a FRESHMAN, averaging 7.7. However, Miles is more than just stylish assists and great vision, she’s a dynamic playmaker.
Miles leads the team in scoring (13.6), leads the team in steals (1.9) and just so happens to reel in 6.4 boards/game (2nd best on the team behind Dodson).
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 is tied for 3rd 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.
In ACC play, Miles is shooting an impressive 50.7 percent while averaging 15.4 ppg – which ranks 6th in the league.
5X 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 5 on the year, making her a contender for ACC Freshman of the Year. Citron looks to challenge 2019 alumna Brianna Turner who set 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.
ACC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR RACE
When it comes to Freshman-Only ACC rankings — Citron ranks 2nd in scoring (by less than 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.
PTS+REB+AST/GAME Among ACC Freshman
1. Sonia Citron – 19.7
2. Shayeann Day-Wilson – 18.9
3. Maria Gakdeng – 15.1
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 3rd on the team in rebounds (6.3), 3rd in assists (2.0) and 3rd in steals (1.5).
In addition, 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.
Then there’s Olivia Miles, who has already been detailed above. Ultimately, Miles ranks in the top-15 in the ACC in 7 different stat categories: Scoring, Rebounds, 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 (5.7) & Citron (4.4). Both rank in the ACC in the top-12. The two are also the team’s top two steal getters as Miles averages 1.9 while Citron checks in with 1.5.
DARA HEAT CHECK
No matter which way you look at it, Dara Mabrey has been on a tear from beyond the arc. In ACC play, she’s knocking down a blistering 46.3 percent from three in ACC play – ranks 1st. Averaging 2.8 made three’s per game as well, also ranking 1st.
SPARKPLUG SAMMIE B
Coach Ivey called Sam Brunelle her sparkplug after the Syracuse win on Jan. 27 and she’s certainly not wrong. Brunelle has recorded 4 double-digit scoring performances in the last 6 games.
Sam is averaging 11.1 ppg in ACC play, shooting 51.8 percent from the field.
Furthermore, she continues to be extremely efficient from two-point range as of late, converting 32-of-48 (.667) from two over the last 9 games. She’s 61.5 percent from two on the season, which leads all Irish players.
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 100 points! The gap currently sits at 447-319. In points per quarter, it’s 22.4-16.0.
WHO’S HOT
Let’s start with the player who is riding the best stretch of her collegiate career – Maya Dodson. The graduate student has recorded a career high 8 straight games in double figures, including three 20-point performances. She’s averaging 16.9 points in said stretch on 60-of-112 shooting (.536). Not to mention, she’s tallied 3 double-doubles on the season and they all have come in the last 5 games.
Sonia Citron is enjoying a career best 5 straight games in double figures right now (also 10 of her last 13). In addition, she’s produced 2 double-doubles in that 5-game span as well.
IN THE NET
In the updated NET rankings, ND currently sits at No. 15, which ranks as the 4th best in the ACC behind No. 2 NC State, No. 5 Louisville and No. 12 Virginia Tech. Against the top-50, they are 2-3. Against the top-100, they are 7-3.
— ND —