Nov. 19, 2014
Recap | Final Stats | USATSI Gallery 
INSIDE THE GAME: #3/2 Notre Dame 71, #15/17 Michigan State 63
November 19, 2014 – East Lansing, Michigan (Breslin Center)
It Was Over When: Freshman forward Kathryn Westbeld followed junior guard Jewell Loyd’s missed layup by converting her only basket of the night with 5:24 remaining after Michigan State had cut the Notre Dame lead to 60-53 and appeared to get a key defensive stop. Westbeld’s putback restored a nine-point Fighting Irish lead and Notre Dame essentially traded the Spartans basket for basket in the closing five minutes to secure the victory.
Game Ball Goes To: Junior All-America guard Jewell Loyd collected her seventh career double-double with a game-high 28 points and team-high 11 rebounds. Loyd, who made seven of 12 shots in the first half when the rest of her teammates were struggling to find their shooting eye, also scored in double figures for the 45th consecutive game, the second-longest streak in school history.
Stat Of The Game: Notre Dame has won its last 12 games decided by single digits or in overtime.
Unsung Hero: Junior guard Hannah Huffman helped Notre Dame weather significant foul trouble during the evening, playing 11 tough minutes and often matching up against Michigan State’s top scorer, first-team all-Big Ten Conference guard Aerial Powers. Huffman delivered four rebounds and a career-high three steals off the bench for the Fighting Irish.
Unofficial Play of the Game: With Notre Dame lead 50-47 and 8:46 remaining in the second half, junior guard Hannah Huffman came up with a critical steal and pushed the ball ahead to classmate Michaela Mabrey, who in turn dished off to sophomore guard Lindsay Allen for a transition layup. The play highlighted an 8-0 run during a 90-second span for the Fighting Irish, who held Michigan State at arm’s length the rest of the way, never leading by fewer than seven points down the stretch.
Up Next For The Fighting Irish: Notre Dame returns home to take on defending Southern Conference champion Chattanooga at 5 p.m. (ET) Friday at Purcell Pavilion. The game will be streamed live and free of charge on the official Fighting Irish athletics multimedia platform, WatchND, and it is the opener of an arena doubleheader with the Notre Dame volleyball team playing host to nationally-ranked North Carolina at 8 p.m. (ET) Friday (fans holding tickets for Friday’s women’s basketball game can stay to watch the volleyball match for free).
— Chris Masters, Associate Athletic Media Relations Director