| GAME 12 | No. 3 Notre Dame (9-2) vs Loyola MD (5-4) |
|---|---|
| WHEN: | Sunday, Dec. 22 | 12 p.m. |
| WHERE | South Bend, Ind. | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| WATCH: | ACCNX |
| LISTEN: | Notre Dame Radio Network |
| SOCIAL: | @NDWBB | #GOIRISH |
NEWARK, N.J. — No. 10 Notre Dame (0-1) will play New Jersey Institute of Technology (2-0) in its first true road game of the season on Sunday. But for multiple players on the roster, it will feel like home.
Five current Irish hail from within 115 miles of the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center in Newark: Sonia Citron (Eastchester, N.Y.), Hannah Hidalgo (Haddonfield, N.J.), Nat Marshall (Queens, N.Y.), Olivia Miles (Phillipsburg, N.J.) and Kylee Watson (Linwood, N.J.). While Anna DeWolfe is from Maine, she spent her undergrad years at nearby Fordham.
“It’s going to be a collective homecoming for a lot of players on our team,” Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey said this week. “All of them are really excited that they get to play in front of family, friends and former high school teammates and coaches. It’s going to be a special moment for everyone.”
The Irish are seeking their first win of the 2023-24 season after falling to No. 6 South Carolina on Monday. Freshman phenom Hidalgo put the country on notice with her 31 points, which is tied for the most that any ACC player has scored in a single game this season. She also made it to the charity stripe 12 times, which is atop the conference.
“It was great for the world to see what I see every day,” Ivey said of Hidalgo’s performance.
On Sunday, Notre Dame will look to set the tone on defense from the jump. The Gamecocks came out hot in Paris, shooting 50 percent from the floor in the first quarter and only getting better each frame.
The Irish bigs struggled against South Carolina, but Watson and Marshall will have the clear height advantage at NJIT; the Highlanders do not have a player taller than 6-2 on the roster. Notre Dame will also get forward Becky Obinma back for Sunday’s game after she missed Game 1 with a non-COVID illness.
NJIT has played two games this season, first topping Army on Nov. 6 then downing Merrimack on Friday night. Head coach Mike Lane is in his sixth year with the program and holds a 44-94 record.
Against the Black Knights, Alejandra Zuniga and Kenna Squier combined for 39 points. The Highlanders played stout defense as well, notching 8 steals and 7 blocks. Madilyn Dogs and Trinity Williams had 3 blocks each. NJIT held Army to just 15 first-half points.
Friday’s game was much more of a defensive slog, as no player in the game — on either side — had more than 12 points. Trinity Williams led NJIT in scoring and also recorded 5 more blocks to total 8 on the year.
Sunday’s contest begins on ESPN+ at 2 p.m. Notre Dame and NJIT have never played each other.