Notre Dame seeks revenge against Maryland in Greenville

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Karen and Kevin Keyes Household Head Coach Niele Ivey knew the objective for the 2022-23 season the second the buzzer sounded on the 2022 Bridgeport Regional. Notre Dame had simply suffered a slim 3-point defeat by the hands of NC State, the ACC champion and a crew that Notre Dame had topped in South Bend earlier that winter. 

Hungry for extra. 

It wasn’t that Ivey was upset in her crew’s path ending within the Candy 16. In spite of everything, it was her first look at that degree as a head coach and Notre Dame’s first since 2019. The rebuild was underway, even perhaps faster than many imagined. As an alternative, it was the style by which the Irish misplaced, turning the ball over within the waning seconds of the competition. They had been so shut. They’d be again.

The slogan has since turn out to be all too acquainted for these across the program. Ivey used it when speaking along with her crew and in numerous media appearances previous to the beginning of this 12 months. Season ticket holders donned it throughout their chests all 12 months, because the famed season ticket-holder shirts had been Kelly Inexperienced with navy block font saying “Hungry For Extra.”

As promised, the Irish are again, and the hump over which they’re making an attempt to get is now on the calendar.

Notre Dame will see a well-recognized opponent when it takes the court docket in Greenville on Saturday for the Candy 16: a second-seeded Maryland crew that got here into Purcell Pavilion on Dec. 1 and beat Notre Dame on the buzzer, 74-72. That was with starters Olivia Miles and Dara Mabrey, previous to their respective season-ending accidents. 

Diamond Miller and Sonia Citron had been the celebrities of the present that evening. Miller, a 6-3 senior guard for the Terrapins and AP Second-Crew All-American, put up 31 factors by way of an 11-for-21 efficiency from the ground and a 9-for-11 exhibiting on the free throw line. Citron had 24 factors and 10 rebounds of her personal, main Notre Dame in each classes. 

“Maryland is taking part in with a ton of confidence,” Ivey mentioned this week. “Their offensive effectivity is wonderful. They’ve actually figured it out this season. You may inform they’ve grown and matured.”

For the Irish, it’s important that Citron get away of a latest taking pictures stoop. She has put up 14 factors in every of Notre Dame’s two NCAA Event video games, however she has been 8-for-27 from the ground and simply 1-for-9 from behind the arc. That mark is properly under her common from deep this 12 months, which nonetheless sits above 43 p.c. 

Ivey may even be closely reliant on her two freshmen, KK Bransford and Cassandre Prosper. Bransford has now made 11 begins due to the aforementioned accidents, and Prosper is simply 17 years outdated however taking part in protection like a veteran. She has 17 blocks this season, which ranks third amongst ACC freshmen. She didn’t play in a recreation till after Christmas.

“They’re not nervous in any respect,” Ivey mentioned of the rookies. “They’ve embraced this second. They get an opportunity to play by issues that perhaps they wouldn’t have [without the injuries]. There’s at all times a silver lining in issues, and I do know that this expertise and these alternatives they’re getting proper now will increase their recreation and assist them down the highway.”

Notre Dame-Maryland ideas off at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN. The Irish are 5-5 all-time towards the Terrapins, however they’re 2-0 when seeing them within the NCAA Event.