| 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 |
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Welcome back to Purcell Pavilion, women’s hoops.
No. 16 Notre Dame (1-1) hosts Northwestern (2-0) on Wednesday night to open its 2023-24 home slate. The game is part of a home-and-home that began last season in Evanston. The Irish emerged victorious, 92-58. Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron had 21 and 24 points, respectively.
Notre Dame is coming off of a 104-57 drubbing of NJIT on Sunday. All five starters scored 10+ points, and Hannah Hidalgo and Sonia Citron led the way with 26 each. Hidalgo also posted 12 steals, tying the Notre Dame single-game record held by Marina Mabrey (11/23/15). Hidalgo earned ACC Rookie of the Week honors after scoring 57 points and 15 steals over her first two games. According to ESPN, she is the first D-I player to have 50 points and 15 steals in the first two games of the season in the last 25 years.
Northwestern is coming off of a 9-21 (2-16 B1G) year and has beaten UIC and Omaha so far this season. Both of those games were at home. The Wildcats are led by veteran head coach Joe McKeown.
After missing the majority of last season, Melannie Daley has lit it up to start her junior year. Daley has posted back-to-back games with 20+ points and ranks fifth in the Big Ten in scoring. Forward Paige Mott has been unstoppable on the boards with 20 and 13 rebounds, respectively, to open the year. She leads the Big Ten in that category.
Notre Dame was able to use its height advantage at NJIT, scoring 62 points in the paint. The Irish won’t have that same advantage on Wednesday; Northwestern has four players who are at least 6-3, including 6-3 starting forward Caleigh Walsh.
Wednesday’s game tips off on the ACC Network at 7 p.m. Notre Dame is 3-1 all-time against the Wildcats.