The Notre Dame Women’s basketball team is back on the road and looking to start a new winning streak in their Sunday game at Syracuse. It will be the first of two games this season against the Orange.
Where: Syracuse, NY – JMA Wireless Dome
When: Sunday, Jan. 15 – 2:00 PM EST
Network: ACC Network – Jenn Hildreth and Jasmine Thomas
Radio: ND Radio Network, 99.9 FM WQLQ in South Bend – Sean Stires PBP
Let’s take a look at today’s matchup:
NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (13-2, 4-1 ACC)
Head Coach: Niele Ivey (47-21 – 3rd season at Notre Dame)
The Fighting Irish got back to their winning ways with Thursday’s 86-47 win over Wake Forest. Maddy Westbeld matched her career-high with 25 points. The junior forward was 10 for 15 from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers, to help the Irish bounce back from last Sunday’s loss at North Carolina. Westbeld also had a game-high eight rebounds to help Notre Dame to a 49-27 advantage on the boards.
Wake Forest entered the game as the No. 25 scoring defense in the nation and No. 3 in the ACC, but the 86 points they surrendered to Notre Dame is the most the Demon Deacons have allowed this season. Notre Dame shot 32 for 59 (54%) from the field after hitting a season-low 16 for 57 earlier in the week against North Carolina.
Olivia Miles scored 13 points for her 12th double figure scoring game this season. Midseason enrollee Cassandre Prosper reached double figures for the first time in her four games for the Irish with 12 points. Prosper hit a pair of 3-pointers and pulled down five rebounds in 17-plus minutes. Lauren Ebo added 10 points.
Projected Irish Starting Lineup
G Olivia Miles– 5-10, Soph. – 15.0 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 7.1 APG
G Sonia Citron – 6-1, Soph – 14.3 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.1 APG
G Dara Mabrey – 5-7, 5th – 10.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.7 APG
F Maddy Westbeld – 6-3, Jr. – 10.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 23 BLK
F Kylee Watson – 6-4, Jr – 6.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 17 BLK
SYRACUSE ORANGE (13-4, 4-2 ACC)
Head Coach: Felicia Legette-Jack (13-4 in 1st season at school, 355-281 in 22nd year overall)
Syracuse women’s basketball great Felicia Legette-Jack is in her first season as head coach at her alma mater. She was the program’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder when her Syracuse playing career ended in 1989 and became the first Syracuse women’s basketball player to have her jersey retired in November 2021 when the Orange and Irish opened ACC play against each other at the JMA Wireless Dome.
Legette-Jack, who is Syracuse’s third head coach in as many seasons, spent the last 10 years as head coach at Buffalo, where she led the Bison to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including last season. She was the head coach at Indiana for six seasons prior to that.
Projected Starting Lineup
G Dyaisha Fair– Stats – 19.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.2 APG
F Dauriana Lewis – Stats – 10.3 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 29 BLK
G Teisha Hyman – Stats – 13.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.6 APG
G Georgia Woolley – Stats – 10.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.8APG
F Kyra Wood – Stats – 2.5, 3.5 RPG
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WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Syracuse started ACC play with back-to-back losses to Louisville and then No. 6 NC State in a span of three days, but the Orange has rattled off three consecutive conference wins over Pittsburgh, Clemson and Boston College. The two losses were by a total of 11 points, while the three wins were all by at least 10 points.
The Orange lead the ACC with 10.8 steals per game. They are just a shade ahead of Miami, who had 15 steals and scored 19 points off turnovers in Notre Dame’s narrow win in Coral Gables back on Dec. 29. Their 3.18 turnover margin ranks third in the conference.
Dyaisha Fair came to Syracuse with Legette-Jack. She leads four Orange who average in double figures and is third in the ACC in scoring with 19.9 points per game. Alabama A&M transfer Dauriana Lewis is also third in the conference with 29 blocked shots.
The Fighting Irish are 36-3 all-time against Syracuse, but the Orange has won two of the last three meetings between the two teams in the JMA Wireless Dome.
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Irish Breakdown Content
2023 Scholarship Chart
2023 Football Schedule
Notre Dame 2023 Scholarship Offers
Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers
2023 Recruiting Class Grades – Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades – Defense
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