Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1081575
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2019 91 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL should have learned from the first one. I think we know what we're doing wrong. We need to come a little more focused, a little more energetic, a little more ready." BACK IN GEAR? The Notre Dame that the nation ex- pects returned to form for the most part after the Miami setback with a resounding 97-70 victory at home ver- sus the Seminoles to remain tied for second in the ACC with a 9-2 league mark and five regular-season games remaining. Louisville sat atop the standings at 10-1, with the lone defeat at Notre Dame 82-68 on Jan. 10, a game far more competitive than the final score indi- cated. The Irish led 68-66 with 1:48 re- maining before a Turner basket and an Ogunbowale three-pointer provided separation. Nine Irish free throws in the closing minute created more disparity. It is not out of the question that Notre Dame can still gain a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the eighth consecutive year, primarily because its RPI was still ranked No. 1 as of Feb. 9. To do so, it would have to win its final eight contests, including three in the ACC Tournament March 8-10. Against the Seminoles, Ogunbowale broke out of a four-game shooting slump that included knocking down her first five three-point attempts (she had been 4 of 21 the previous four con- tests) en route to 27 points to go with nine rebounds and five assists. Senior Jessica Shepard added 26 points and eight rebounds to balance the inside- outside combination. "I've been kind of laid back, I guess, so to speak," said Ogunbowale, per- haps hinting at the collective loss of focus by the Irish. "I just need to be aggressive from the tip and try to get any opening I can get." Conspicuously vociferous on the sideline to keep her squad more en- gaged and alert, McGraw still la- mented a continuing bug-a-boo: de- fensive intensity, including assignment consciousness. "It's frustrating," McGraw said. "We could have put them away re- ally early, but we kept giving them threes. They average three threes a game, and they had nine. We've got to do better … we just really have to fix the defense." The burden of expectations might remind one of what Lou Holtz's foot- ball teams went through in the early 1990s after a school-record 23-game winning streak in 1988-89. On paper, the roster was more talented with NFL personnel in the early 1990s, but the target on their back was immense, the chemistry wasn't always ideal, and several times it resulted in huge upset losses that prevented another title. Likewise, the 2019 Irish might be more individually talented and deeper than last year's champion, but how they mesh collectively while maintain- ing a consistent competitive spirit will dictate their fate. ✦ THREE-POINT PLAY 1. Half Court Vs. Fast Break — Florida State head coach Sue Semrau described the Irish as "the best offensive transition team in the county." With senior guard Arike Ogunbowale, who can explode from end to end with the ball in her hands perhaps faster than anyone in the country, the Irish are virtually unstoppable in transition, especially with how well the "bigs" — Brianna Turner and Jessica Shepard — run the court. Shepard also is one of the best outlet passers in the college game, women or men. In the half-court offense, minus a true point guard, the Irish have not been as effective and often have turned the ball over in the high-low looks with less movement and sometimes trying to force the ball inside. "If we don't rebound, we're not going to be able to run, and that takes away a lot of our offense," head coach Muffet McGraw summarized. 2. 2,000 Club — Senior Jessica Shepard joined Arike Ogunbowale, destined to become the school's all-time scoring leader, with 2,000 career points. She also joined Ruth Riley — recently inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame — as the lone Irish players to record at least 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in their careers. However, Shepard played her first two seasons at Nebraska. During the 22-3 start, Ogunbowale's 21.0 scoring average was a tenth of a point off the ACC lead (Louisville's Asia Durr was at 21.1), while Shepard's 15.5 average was second on the team. Senior Marina Mabrey and junior Jackie Young were at 14.4 apiece, and fifth-year senior Brianna Turner 12.9. 3. Is Jackie Young Considering Turning Pro? — In January, ESPN in its 2019 WNBA mock draft had the Notre Dame junior as the team's top prospect (No. 6 overall). To be draft eligible, a player must turn 22 in that calendar year, which Young will in September. In 2015, Irish All-American Jewell Loyd left after her junior year to become the No. 1 overall pick. When Young was asked Feb. 6 on whether turning pro is something she would consider, she paused, said she has not given it any thought and added that she will evaluate it "after the season." — Lou Somogyi 2018-19 NOTRE DAME WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Result/Time (ET) Oct. 30 Lewis University! W, 107-65 Nov. 9 Harvard W, 103-58 Nov. 12 Penn W, 75-55 Nov. 17 at DePaul W, 101-77 Nov. 22 vs. Gonzaga# W, 81-65 Nov. 23 vs. Drake# W, 82-64 Nov. 24 vs. Oregon State# W, 91-81 Nov. 29 Iowa% W, 105-71 Dec. 2 Connecticut^ L, 89-71 Dec. 8 at Toledo W, 72-56 Dec. 16 Binghamton W, 103-53 Dec. 19 Western Kentucky W, 94-53 Dec. 22 at Marquette W, 87-63 Dec. 30 Lehigh W, 95-68 Jan. 3 Pittsburgh* W, 100-44 Jan. 6 at Georgia Tech* W, 76-55 Jan. 10 Louisville* W, 82-68 Jan. 13 Wake Forest* W, 78-48 Jan. 16 at Virginia Tech* W, 80-51 Jan. 20 Boston College* W, 92-63 Jan. 24 at Tennessee W, 77-62 Jan. 27 at North Carolina* L, 78-73 Jan. 31 at Clemson* W, 101-63 Feb. 3 Georgia Tech* W, 90-50 Feb. 7 at Miami* L, 72-65 Feb. 10 Florida State* W, 97-70 Feb. 13 at Boston College* (ACCN) 7 p.m. Feb. 18 at NC State* (ESPN2) 7 p.m. Feb. 21 Duke* (ACCN) 7 p.m. Feb. 25 at Syracuse* (ESPN2) 6 p.m. Mar. 3 Virginia* (RSN) 12:30 p.m. Mar. 6-10 ACC Tournament TBA ! Exhibition; # Vancouver Showcase; % ACC-Big Ten Challenge; ^ Jimmy V Classic; *ACC game Junior guard Jackie Young was listed as Notre Dame's top pro prospect with a No. 6 overall projection in ESPN's 2019 WNBA mock draft. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND