What to know about Notre Dame women's basketball vs. No. 6 NC State
Notre Dame is one week removed from missing out on an opportunity to knock off a ranked ACC opponent. Then-No. 15 Louisville beat then-No. 12 Notre Dame, 73-66, last Thursday. The beauty of playing in such a stacked conference? The Irish get another chance at a marquee victory seven days later.
The No. 6 NC State Wolfpack are in town to take on No. 16 Notre Dame at Purcell Pavilion tonight.
“I talk about the standings, I’ve talked about that a lot, especially in the middle of January,” Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey said. “For them to understand what this means, every game matters. They know that because our league has had so much parity in it. It’s really beneficial to be able to take care of home if you can. They understand the magnitude of every game. Every game is a tough opponent and a tough matchup.”
Here is everything you need to know about tonight’s tilt.
Notre Dame women’s basketball vs. NC State game info
- Teams: No. 16 Notre Dame (18-5, 8-4 ACC) and No. 6 NC State (21-3, 9-3)
- Head coaches: Niele Ivey (79-30, fourth year at Notre Dame); Wes Moore (263-84, 11th year at NC State; 821-253 overall, 35th year)
- Date: Feb. 15, 2024
- Location: Purcell Pavilion (South Bend, Ind.)
- Time: 6 p.m. ET
- Television: ACC Network
- TV broadcasters: Jenn Hildreth and Jasmine Thomas
- Radio: 99.9 WQLQ-FM in South Bend
- Radio broadcaster: Sean Stires and Karen Keyes
Matchup notables
• Notre Dame and NC State split a pair of games last season. The Wolfpack won, 69-65, in Raleigh in the regular season. The shorthanded Irish got them back with a 66-60 win without Olivia Miles in the ACC Tournament.
• The Irish are 9-4 all-time against the Wolfpack, including a 3-1 mark at home. The last time these two teams played in South Bend, the Irish won 69-66. Only two Notre Dame players who appeared in that game are set to play tonight; junior guard Sonia Citron and senior forward Maddy Westbeld.
• Post play is a key to victory for both teams. The Irish and Wolfpack both have Jekyll and Hyde tendencies in that area. When NC State is firing on all cylinders, senior center River Baldwin is a factor. The Wolfpack can be beaten when she’s not. In their most recent loss, a 72-61 defeat to Virginia Tech on Feb. 8, Baldwin had 4 points and 2 rebounds in 24 minutes. Sound familiar? Notre Dame senior center Kylee Watson is susceptible to similar stat lines, hurting the Irish’s chances of winning big games.
• Baldwin averages 9.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Watson averages 6.7 and 5.1, respectively. The team that gets anything around those numbers or perhaps even more from its 6-5 center will have an easier path to victory. It’ll be critical for Notre Dame not to get into foul trouble trying to contain Baldwin. “That dictates the energy of the game,” Ivey said.
• This game isn’t only going to come down to what happens in the paint, though. Both teams are guard-driven. Of course, that starts with national player of the year candidate Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame. The 11-time ACC Rookie of the Week winner is averaging video-game numbers; 25.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 5.1 steals per game. NC State is led by junior Aziaha James, who’s averaging 15.4 points per game. She had 28 a week and a half ago when the Wolfpack beat Louisville.
• NC State has two more guards averaging at least 12 points per game; junior Saniya Rivers and senior Madison Hayes. It’s a veteran contingent of guards that go at opponents in waves. Ivey noted that NC State isn’t afraid to put four guards on the floor at the same time. When that happens, she’s looking to counteract a smaller lineup with a bigger one of her own. “It’s a game of matchups and trying to exploit and take advantage of things when you can see it,” Ivey said.
• Another matchup to watch will be Westbeld against fellow senior forward Mimi Collins. They’re both 6-3 with inside-outside capabilities. Westbeld is averaging 13.9 points and 9.3 rebounds for the Irish. Collins, a two-time transfer formerly of Tennessee and Maryland, is at 11.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
