BIMINI, Bahamas — For the first time this season, No. 7 Notre Dame faced a real test. The response was promising.
In the final game of the 2022 Goombay Splash, the Irish (6-0) topped previously undefeated Arizona State (4-1) by a score of 85-65 after outscoring the Sun Devils 54-31 in the second half. Notre Dame was down by three points at the break, the first time they’ve trailed this season after 20 minutes.
“Arizona State came out on fire,” Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey said after the game. “We needed to match their intensity. Second half, I really focused on my defense, and it got us a lead in the second half.”
After the Sun Devils shot 64.3 percent in the second quarter, Notre Dame more than halved that mark in Q3, holding them to 29.4 percent from the floor. While the defense was heating up, the offense began to click. Notre Dame posted 30 points in the fourth quarter, turning what was a tight game into a no-doubter by the time the clock hit zero. The Irish’s 22-point advantage with nine seconds to play was the biggest lead of the game.
Olivia Miles was named the MVP of the tournament’s Goombay Bracket (Notre Dame, Arizona State and American), and Lauren Ebo and Sonia Citron received “all star” honors. Over the two games, Miles averaged 16 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
“We’re able to adapt in any situation, any environment,” Miles said of what she learned about the team on the trip. “Whenever we are — at home or on the road — we can adjust.”
After struggling on Thursday against American, Ebo led the Irish with 20 points and nine rebounds on Saturday afternoon. The occasion marked the first time the Texas graduate transfer has hit the 20-point mark, and she was one board shy of her second double-double this year.
For the third consecutive game, freshman KK Bransford hit double-digit points. She was 5-8 on the day with 14 points and a career high nine rebounds. Her willingness to crash the board and absorb contact is reminiscent of a veteran, not a first-year college basketball player.
Arizona State’s foul trouble certainly assisted the Irish as well. In total, three Sun Devils fouled out, including starters Tyi Skinner and Kayla Mokwuah. Skinner was Arizona State’s leading scorer with 15 points.
Notre Dame now heads back to the U.S. with a daunting week ahead. No. 14 Maryland (5-2) visits on Thursday as part of the ACC/B1G Challenge, and rival and third-ranked UConn (4-0) will make a visit to Purcell Pavilion on Sunday for one of two women’s Jimmy V Classic games. The Maryland game will tip off at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.