Dec. 31, 2017
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The No. 2 University of Notre Dame women’s basketball team (13-1, 2-0) closed out 2017 on a winning note, defeating Wake Forest (8-6, 0-1), 96-73, in a Sunday matinee.
Notre Dame used 20-plus point outings from Arike Ogunbowale and Marina Mabrey to secure its second Atlantic Coast Conference victory, this time coming at LJVM Coliseum.
How It Happened
Notre Dame jumped out to a 15-2 lead by the 5:43 mark as Arike Ogunbowale and Marina Mabrey combined to score the first 11 points for the Irish. The duo both reached 10 points by the end of the period, extending Notre Dame’s lead to 28-12, becoming the first pair of Irish players to record double figures in an opening period this season.
Three-pointers from Mabrey and Ogunbowale strung together a 9-2 run midway through the second quarter, building Notre Dame’s lead to 43-25. By half, Ogunbowale and Mabrey combined for 29 points, as seven different Irish scorers sent Notre Dame into the locker-room with a 50-31 advantage.
Entering the fourth quarter with a 70-53 edge over the Demon Deacons, Notre Dame’s offense continued to spur through Mabrey and Ogunbowale as the pair accounted for 10 of the team’s first 12 points. The Irish, which held Wake Forest without a field goal for 4:19 in the fourth, ultimately secured the 96-73 win over the Demon Deacons.
Player of the Game
Marina Mabrey collected a season-high 22 points with six rebounds and recorded her second game of 20-plus points this season. For Mabrey, it marked her 10th game of double-figure points in 2017. Furthermore, Mabrey’s five assists against Wake Forest extended her streak of five-plus assists to four games.
In addition, Mabrey is also averaging 15.6 points with 6.0 rebounds over her last five games.
Stat of the Game
Both Mabrey and Ogunbowale reached double digits (10 points each) in the first quarter, marking the first time two players achieved said feat this season.
Notes
- Notre Dame leads the all-time series versus Wake Forest, 6-0, including a 3-0 mark in Winston-Salem.
- Irish extend their all-time ACC record to 64-2.
- Irish shot 12-for-15 from the field in the first quarter (80.0 percent), which marked its best shooting percentage quarter this season with at least 10 made field goals.
- With a 50-31 lead at the midway point, Notre Dame had scored 50 points in a half for the fifth time this season.
- Arike Ogunbowale‘s 25 points against Wake Forest gives her 14 straight games with double-digit points this season and an active streak of 23 dating back to last season. It also marked Ogunbowale’s 10th 20+ point game this season, which leads the ACC.
- Ogunbowale averages 21.0 points against Wake Forest in her career, while Mabrey averages 15.7 points per game against the Demon Deacons.
- With 10 points, Westbeld achieved her fourth straight game with double-digit points.
- Kristina Nelson equaled her career-high 13 points and collected seven rebounds.
- Kaitlin Cole came off to bench to tie her career high of five points.
Up Next
The Irish return home to welcome its first opponent of 2018 in the Miami Hurricanes on Thursday, Jan. 4. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on ACCN Extra.
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