SOUTH BEND, Ind. — “This is what you want for women’s basketball. Eyes on us.”
That was the way Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey chose to open her Thursday night press conference, a positive spin on an otherwise heartbreaking evening for No. 7 Notre Dame (6-1). In a contest televised nationally on ESPN2 as part of the ACC/B1G Challenge, the Irish suffered their first loss of the season after No. 20 Maryland’s Diamond Miller hit a buzzer-beater to win 74-72 and move to 7-2.
“Hats off to Maryland,” Ivey said. “I thought they played a tough game, and Diamond Miller had an incredible shot.”
Miller, Maryland’s 6-3 do-it-all guard, finished with 31 points and 12 rebounds. It was the first time this year Notre Dame has allowed an opposing player to hit 30.
Foul trouble plagued the Irish once again, sending leading scorer Miles to the bench midway through the second quarter. For the second time this season, Notre Dame went into the locker room needing to come from behind to win; it was 33-32 after 20 minutes. For the first time this season, they came up short.
While there was plenty that went wrong for Ivey’s team, there were a few bright spots. Sophomore Sonia Citron walked away with 24 points and 10 rebounds. She hit four of five threes and was a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line.
“I want to help my team any way I can,” Citron said postgame. “When my shots are hitting, especially from three like they were today, it definitely gives me energy and helps me play my best game.”
Two other Irish players finished in double figures: Miles (14) and Kylee Watson (10). Miles flirted with another double-double, ending with seven assists. She entered Thursday’s game averaging 6.7 assists per contest, which ranked second in the ACC.
The Irish will take the court once again on Sunday for another ranked matchup. No. 3 UConn will visit Purcell Pavilion, reigniting arguably the best rivalry in women’s college basketball. The game will tip off at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.