PITTSBURGH, Pa. — When Olivia Miles said she worked on her deep shot while she was injured, she meant it.
On Thursday, No. 2 Notre Dame (22-2, 13-0) topped Pittsburgh (11-15, 3-10) for the 11th consecutive time, 88-57. Miles was the star of the show with an 8-13 showing from deep, tying the Notre Dame single-game triple record set in 1998 by Sheila McMillen. She finished with a season-high 28 points.
Sonia Citron also posted a standout game going 8-9 from the floor and 4-4 from beyond the arc, ending with 22 points and her third double-double of the year.
Additionally, the Irish hit 14 total 3-pointers, the most they’ve made in a conference game since joining the ACC.
Both teams started the game 5-9 from the floor, but Notre Dame was hitting shots from deep. Pittsburgh closed out the first frame hitting their last four attempts to make it 22-21 after 10. Citron and Miles combined for 5-5 from the floor with three treys.
The second quarter started with a lethal sequence for Notre Dame — a Citron triple, a Citron steal on the other end and a pullup triple for Miles. It continued to rain threes for the Irish captains, who hit a total of six in Q2.
Citron was 7-7 from the floor with a 4-4 showing from deep in the first half along with a team-leading 5 boards. Miles hit her first five shots, all of which were from deep, before missing a trey at the buzzer to send the game to the break with Notre Dame up, 49-33. The Irish still have not trailed at halftime this season.
Notre Dame opened up a 20-point lead early in the third quarter to go up 55-35 and kept building on it with a 10-0 run while Pitt was 1-9 from the floor. The Panthers did not give up and went on a mini 9-0 run of their own, led by forward Khadija Faye, who had a 20-point double-double. The quarter aptly closed on a Miles 3-pointer.
The Irish took control in the final frame with a 19-7 conclusion, including a 10-0 run to end it. Liza Karlen led Notre Dame with 6 points, but it was Miles who hit that coveted triple to tie the record.
Notre Dame has the weekend off before a Monday night clash with No. 13 Duke (20-5, 11-2).