| GAME 23 | NO. 16/15 FLORIDA STATE AT NO. 8/9 NOTRE DAME |
|---|---|
| WHEN: | SUNDAY, FEB. 5 | 1 PM ET |
| WHERE: | SOUTH BEND, IN | PURCELL PAVILION |
| WATCH: | RSN/ACCNX |
| LISTEN: | NOTRE DAME RADIO NETWORK | CLICK HERE |
| NOTES: | ND NOTES |
| SOCIAL: | @NDWBB | #GOIRISH |
| TICKETS: | BUY TICKETS |
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The top game in the ACC this weekend will take place in Northeast Indiana, as No. 8/9 Notre Dame and No. 16/15 Duke face off with first place in the ACC on the line.
“It’s going to be a track meet,” Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey said earlier this week. “They’re playing great basketball this year. They are very defensive-minded and press for 40 minutes. It’s going to be an incredible matchup.”
The Blue Devils bring a more than balanced attack to the table. Guard Celeste Taylor is pacing the group in points per game (11.9), forward Elizabeth Balogun leads with 5.5 rebounds a contest, and junior Jordyn Oliver is leading the team with 2.5 assists per game. Shayeann Day-Wilson has had the hot hand lately for Duke, as the sophomore guard is averaging 17 points per game since Jan. 19.
Defensively, Duke is allowing just 51.7 points per game, which leads the ACC by a wide margin. In conference play that number jumps up a bit to 54.8, but it is clear that Duke head coach Kara Lawson has her team locked in on that side of the ball. They also have the best turnover margin in the ACC (+2.09).
The Irish won at Boston College on Thursday, taking control in the second half to bring home a 72-59 win. Sonia Citron had 23 points, and Olivia Miles had 22. It was the second time this season both sophomore guards eclipsed the 20-point mark in the same game (Northwestern). With 10 assists against the Eagles, Miles also became the first Irish guard to post at least 20 points and 10 assists in multiple games in her career since at least 1999.
Now Notre Dame has four games at home, a much-welcomed situation. The Irish are averaging 83.9 points per game in Purcell Pavilion this year. Their only loss came on a buzzer-beater at the hands of Maryland, who is currently ranked in the AP Top 10.
“We are really excited to be at home for two weeks,” Ivey said. “You never really get a chance to have such a long stretch in front of our fans, their energy and the comfort of being at home.”
Notre Dame has never lost to Duke in South Bend, and the Irish are 17-3 all-time against the Blue Devils. Sunday’s contest tips off at 1 p.m. ET and will be televised on regional sports networks.