| 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 |
DURHAM, N.C. — It’s the ACC’s top offense against the ACC’s top defense. Something has to give.
No. 16 Notre Dame (18-6, 8-5) will take on Duke (16-8, 8-5) at Cameron Indoor Stadium in a rare ACC women’s basketball Monday night showdown. The Irish are pacing the conference with 83.1 points per game, while the Blue Devils are surrendering an ACC-best 57.8 points per game.
With the exception of a double-overtime clash in Tallahassee, Notre Dame’s offense has fallen relatively stagnant in recent conference games. The Irish have now seen four of the ACC’s top-six offenses — NC State, Louisville, North Carolina and Miami — and they’ve averaged just 59 points per game in those contests. But there’s always hope with Hannah Hidalgo, Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld on the floor.
Hidalgo — the ACC Rookie of the Year frontrunner — is coming off of her first pedestrian collegiate game. Hidalgo was held to a season-low 10 points, as the Wolfpack ended her 10-game streak with at least 20 points. Despite what Notre Dame hopes will be a one-off performance, Hidalgo continues to lead the ACC in scoring with 24.5 points per game. Her points + rebounds + assists number is second in the conference at 36.2.
Citron and Westbeld also have PARs in the top-15 in the ACC. Notre Dame is the only conference with three players in that category. Westbeld has been dominant on the boards this season, and she has nine double-doubles on the year.
The Blue Devils also have a balanced offense. Three players are averaging double-figures: Reigan Richardson (11.2), Oluchi Okananwa (10.8) and Taina Mair (10.5). Irish fans are familiar with Mair, who transferred to Duke from Boston College. Okananwa paces the group with 6.7 rebounds per game while also leading with a 37.3 success rate from deep.
Monday’s game tips off on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. Notre Dame is 17-4 all-time against Duke and 4-3 at Cameron Indoor, but the Blue Devils have won the last three matchups.