| 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 |
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It’s been a streaky series to date, and Thursday’s top-15 matchup is primed to add another thriller to the books. Both teams are seeking revenge of sorts as No. 12 Notre Dame heads to No. 15 Louisville for a primetime, ESPN showdown. The Cardinals won the last meeting at the ACC Tournament, but the Irish won the last time they visited the KFC Yum! Center.
The teams have two of the best records in the ACC, and they have the stats to back it up. Notre Dame leads the league with a 47.4 field goal percentage, and Louisville sits at second at 46.4. In conference play, the Irish have the second-ranked scoring offense (76.6), while the Cardinals have the second-ranked scoring defense (62.9).
Notre Dame is led by a three-headed monster: Hannah Hidalgo, Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld. The three are averaging a combined 55.6 points and 20.4 rebounds per game. Hidalgo leads the pack with 24.8 points per game, and Westbeld is pacing them with 9.2 rebounds. Citron leads Notre Dame with a 39.7 percentage from deep and a 91.3 clip from the free throw line.
Hidalgo is the defensive wizard on an Irish team allowing just 60.3 points per game and leading the ACC with an opponent 3-point field goal percentage of 25.6. The freshman leads the nation with 106 steals, just 8 shy of the Notre Dame single-season record held by Skylar Diggins.
For the 17th year, Jeff Walz is leading the Cardinals, and he once again has a very physical team that has had immense success this year. This season’s squad is extremely balanced; five players are averaging at least 9 points. JMU transfer Kiki Jefferson is leading the team with 13.7 points per year, and veteran post Olivia Cochran sits at 11.6 with a team-leading 6.3 rebounds.
Thursday’s game will air on ESPN at 6 p.m. Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo and Holly Rowe will be on the call. Notre Dame is 18-13 all-time against Louisville.