#27/#25 NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH 11 –4 (3 - 2 ACC)
NCAA NET #27 (UNC 20); Massey ranking 22 (UNC 28), RPI 67 (Nolan) (UNC 45), Torvik 27 (UNC 16)
Last season 28-6 (16-2, Co-Champion); 1-1 ACCT, 2-1 NCAAT as #3 seed, losing in Sweet 16 to TCU 62-71.
Sunday afternoon #22/#18 North Carolina will take on the Irish at South Bend. This will be the only regular season meeting. The Heels are 5-11 all time with Notre Dame, having lost last year’s matchup at Carmichael 66-76. UNC had a strong effort by Maria Gakdeng (16), Lexi Donarski (13) and a double-double by Alyssa Ustby (12/11) but could not overcome 24 points from Hannah Hidalgo and 19 from Olivia Miles including a combined 12 of 22 3-pointers (54.5%). Miles will not be a problem this year as she is now a TCU Horney Toad.
The Heels have had one success in South Bend, winning the 2024 game behind Indya Nivar’s 16 points. However, wins against the Irish have been hard come by no matter where played, and just in passing note that they were 16-1 at home last season.
For this game Carolina is an 8-point underdog according to Massey; Nolan thinks the Heels lose by 4. Torvik however, predicts a one-point win for the Heels. Predictions of a Notre Dame win are not surprising, given Carolina’s overall 5-11 record including 1-5 in South Bend. If anything, the predicted closeness of the margins is interesting. One reason could be the SOS for NDU, ranked #249 (!) by the NCAA and 138 by Warren Nolan. (Carolina: 67 and 65). Plugging those numbers into your algorithm could skew results.
Speaking of schedules, the Irish had wins with Chicago St. 98-52 (Massey 352), Akron 85-58 (315), Southern Cal 61-59 (16), Central MI 83-51 (129), FSU 93-60 (77), Morehead St 97-48 (244), J. Madison 78-65 (72), and Bellarmine 110-38 (341). Carolina also has wins over four teams with sub-300 ratings but has two games against Top-5 programs. NDU has played just two top-20 teams, Michigan and Ole Miss – both losses.
The Ole Miss (#18) game in Oxford was the ACC-SEC Challenge, which they lost 62-69. The Michigan (#9) game was for whatever reason played in Detroit. The Irish lost big, 54-93. The first conference win was a December game against FSU, currently 5-11 (0-4). NDU won easily, 93-60. Not so the game with Georgia Tech in Atlanta, a 90-95 overtime loss; or dook in Durham, a 68-82 loss. NDU did catch a break with this week’s Thursday game with hapless cellar-dwelling Boston College, 4-14 (0-5). NDU won by 34, 94-60.
Notre Dame has had some problems with injuries, but a solid core of players has carried the team, even though only 4 lettermen returned. One is Hannah Hidalgo, a 5-7 junior PG who leads the team and the ACC in scoring (24.7 ppg) and ranks as the #2 scorer in NCAA stats. A former McDonald’s AA, Hidalgo also leads in assists, steals (ACC and NCAA both) and is a better than average rebounder at 6.1 per game. Hidalgo has spent her career piling up an impressive series of awards including two-time ACC POY, ACC DPOY, and 1st Team All-American.
Two other players have started every game. Cassandra “Cass” Prosper (7.2/4.2), a 6-3 redshirt senior G, averages 17.1 ppg and 7.4 rpg, plus leads in blocked shots. Cass was all over BC with 27 points and 13 rebounds. The third player was one-time dookie Vanessa de Jesus, a 5-8 GS G (9.9/2.8). As she was at dook (when she got to play) is a 3-point threat at 39.7%.
For most games, Gisela Sanchez has started (8.8/5.4). She is a 6-4 GS F who spent the last three years at Kansas State. A Spanish International, she does not shoot a lot of threes but can make them if she does: a team best 48.3%. Against BC Sanchez came off the bench and her spot was taken by Iyana Moore, who had 80 starts for Vanderbilt before joining NDU. She had the reputation at Vandy as a sharpshooter and has kept it up as a Golden Domer: 29 of 65 for 44.6%.
For the first nine games the final starter was KK Bransford, a 5-11 redshirt senior G. She was averaging 9.7 ppg and 5.8 rpg when injured against Morehead State and has not returned. NDU says her knee injury did not require surgery (therefore not ACL) and is expected to return. One would hope so as she missed all of last season with a foot problem. In her absence former Deac Malaya Cowles was promoted to starter. She is a 6-3 GS F (9.9/5.4).
Historically HC Niele Ivey likes a short rotation and traditionally does not go deep off the bench; and most games this season have involved six or seven players. ACC games so far have used only the six noted above. There are of course other players available but appearances are limited to non-conference games that were not competitive. UNC by comparison has 10 players with 10+ minutes.
Notre Dame and North Carolina have a lot of comparable stats. UND leads the ACC in scoring at 85.5 points; UNC is 3rd at 79.5. Defensively Carolina has the better of it with 57.7 ppg (#5) while the Irish are #12 (63.0). NDU shoots a bit better (#1 at .491) but UNC is no slouch at (#2 at 47.7). 3-point percentage at 36.1% is #1 for NDU but UNC is #3 at .353. UNC uses the three (402 attempts) far more than the Irish: 281 attempts. Neither team is a rebounding power. Painful is it to admit, Notre Dame has an advantage in FT% - #1 at .795. If you have to ask what UNC’s numbers are you haven’t been paying attention.
Attendance shows that Notre Dame can expect 7,000+ for this game. UNC musters about 3100 for home games. As has been stated on this website, this disparity in attendance is a big problem. Attendance at #7 ACC will never be acceptable if UNC wants to consistently recruit at the Top-5 level.
Notre Dame Head Coach Niele Ivey moves into year six with the usual high expectations that go with Notre Dame. Like most coaches, Ivey had to deal with portal transfers and portal inbounds. Her record so far is 133-44. ND has placed in the Sweet 16 three consecutive years. Ivey also holds the distinction of having the longest name of any coach - Niele Deirdre Jamillah Viveca Ivey – and probably the longest title: Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Head Women’s Basketball Coach.
With a win on Sunday, Carolina would probably make it back into the Top 20. It will not be easy. A loss, though, drops Carolina at 2-3 ACC and someone with time on their hands can calculate the number of times a team at 2-3 has won the title in an 18-game conference.
Game time is 1:00 PM EST. There is live TV coverage by ESPN, and audio from GoHeels.
NCAA NET #27 (UNC 20); Massey ranking 22 (UNC 28), RPI 67 (Nolan) (UNC 45), Torvik 27 (UNC 16)
Last season 28-6 (16-2, Co-Champion); 1-1 ACCT, 2-1 NCAAT as #3 seed, losing in Sweet 16 to TCU 62-71.
Sunday afternoon #22/#18 North Carolina will take on the Irish at South Bend. This will be the only regular season meeting. The Heels are 5-11 all time with Notre Dame, having lost last year’s matchup at Carmichael 66-76. UNC had a strong effort by Maria Gakdeng (16), Lexi Donarski (13) and a double-double by Alyssa Ustby (12/11) but could not overcome 24 points from Hannah Hidalgo and 19 from Olivia Miles including a combined 12 of 22 3-pointers (54.5%). Miles will not be a problem this year as she is now a TCU Horney Toad.
The Heels have had one success in South Bend, winning the 2024 game behind Indya Nivar’s 16 points. However, wins against the Irish have been hard come by no matter where played, and just in passing note that they were 16-1 at home last season.
For this game Carolina is an 8-point underdog according to Massey; Nolan thinks the Heels lose by 4. Torvik however, predicts a one-point win for the Heels. Predictions of a Notre Dame win are not surprising, given Carolina’s overall 5-11 record including 1-5 in South Bend. If anything, the predicted closeness of the margins is interesting. One reason could be the SOS for NDU, ranked #249 (!) by the NCAA and 138 by Warren Nolan. (Carolina: 67 and 65). Plugging those numbers into your algorithm could skew results.
Speaking of schedules, the Irish had wins with Chicago St. 98-52 (Massey 352), Akron 85-58 (315), Southern Cal 61-59 (16), Central MI 83-51 (129), FSU 93-60 (77), Morehead St 97-48 (244), J. Madison 78-65 (72), and Bellarmine 110-38 (341). Carolina also has wins over four teams with sub-300 ratings but has two games against Top-5 programs. NDU has played just two top-20 teams, Michigan and Ole Miss – both losses.
The Ole Miss (#18) game in Oxford was the ACC-SEC Challenge, which they lost 62-69. The Michigan (#9) game was for whatever reason played in Detroit. The Irish lost big, 54-93. The first conference win was a December game against FSU, currently 5-11 (0-4). NDU won easily, 93-60. Not so the game with Georgia Tech in Atlanta, a 90-95 overtime loss; or dook in Durham, a 68-82 loss. NDU did catch a break with this week’s Thursday game with hapless cellar-dwelling Boston College, 4-14 (0-5). NDU won by 34, 94-60.
Notre Dame has had some problems with injuries, but a solid core of players has carried the team, even though only 4 lettermen returned. One is Hannah Hidalgo, a 5-7 junior PG who leads the team and the ACC in scoring (24.7 ppg) and ranks as the #2 scorer in NCAA stats. A former McDonald’s AA, Hidalgo also leads in assists, steals (ACC and NCAA both) and is a better than average rebounder at 6.1 per game. Hidalgo has spent her career piling up an impressive series of awards including two-time ACC POY, ACC DPOY, and 1st Team All-American.
Two other players have started every game. Cassandra “Cass” Prosper (7.2/4.2), a 6-3 redshirt senior G, averages 17.1 ppg and 7.4 rpg, plus leads in blocked shots. Cass was all over BC with 27 points and 13 rebounds. The third player was one-time dookie Vanessa de Jesus, a 5-8 GS G (9.9/2.8). As she was at dook (when she got to play) is a 3-point threat at 39.7%.
For most games, Gisela Sanchez has started (8.8/5.4). She is a 6-4 GS F who spent the last three years at Kansas State. A Spanish International, she does not shoot a lot of threes but can make them if she does: a team best 48.3%. Against BC Sanchez came off the bench and her spot was taken by Iyana Moore, who had 80 starts for Vanderbilt before joining NDU. She had the reputation at Vandy as a sharpshooter and has kept it up as a Golden Domer: 29 of 65 for 44.6%.
For the first nine games the final starter was KK Bransford, a 5-11 redshirt senior G. She was averaging 9.7 ppg and 5.8 rpg when injured against Morehead State and has not returned. NDU says her knee injury did not require surgery (therefore not ACL) and is expected to return. One would hope so as she missed all of last season with a foot problem. In her absence former Deac Malaya Cowles was promoted to starter. She is a 6-3 GS F (9.9/5.4).
Historically HC Niele Ivey likes a short rotation and traditionally does not go deep off the bench; and most games this season have involved six or seven players. ACC games so far have used only the six noted above. There are of course other players available but appearances are limited to non-conference games that were not competitive. UNC by comparison has 10 players with 10+ minutes.
Notre Dame and North Carolina have a lot of comparable stats. UND leads the ACC in scoring at 85.5 points; UNC is 3rd at 79.5. Defensively Carolina has the better of it with 57.7 ppg (#5) while the Irish are #12 (63.0). NDU shoots a bit better (#1 at .491) but UNC is no slouch at (#2 at 47.7). 3-point percentage at 36.1% is #1 for NDU but UNC is #3 at .353. UNC uses the three (402 attempts) far more than the Irish: 281 attempts. Neither team is a rebounding power. Painful is it to admit, Notre Dame has an advantage in FT% - #1 at .795. If you have to ask what UNC’s numbers are you haven’t been paying attention.
Attendance shows that Notre Dame can expect 7,000+ for this game. UNC musters about 3100 for home games. As has been stated on this website, this disparity in attendance is a big problem. Attendance at #7 ACC will never be acceptable if UNC wants to consistently recruit at the Top-5 level.
Notre Dame Head Coach Niele Ivey moves into year six with the usual high expectations that go with Notre Dame. Like most coaches, Ivey had to deal with portal transfers and portal inbounds. Her record so far is 133-44. ND has placed in the Sweet 16 three consecutive years. Ivey also holds the distinction of having the longest name of any coach - Niele Deirdre Jamillah Viveca Ivey – and probably the longest title: Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Head Women’s Basketball Coach.
With a win on Sunday, Carolina would probably make it back into the Top 20. It will not be easy. A loss, though, drops Carolina at 2-3 ACC and someone with time on their hands can calculate the number of times a team at 2-3 has won the title in an 18-game conference.
Game time is 1:00 PM EST. There is live TV coverage by ESPN, and audio from GoHeels.
