| GAME 24 | No. 2 Notre Dame (21-2, 12-0) at Pittsburgh (11-14, 3-9) |
|---|---|
| WHEN: | Thursday, Feb. 13 | 8:00 p.m. |
| WHERE | Petersen Events Center | Pittsburgh, Pa. |
| WATCH: | ACCN |
| LISTEN: | Notre Dame Radio Network |
| SOCIAL: | @NDWBB | #GOIRISH |
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — After a two-game home stand at Purcell Pavilion last week, No. 2 Notre Dame (21-2, 12-0) heads back on the road this week for a Thursday night clash at Pittsburgh (11-14, 3-9).
The Irish are riding a 16-game win streak, the second-longest in the nation among major conference teams behind undefeated UCLA, and the Irish are looking for their 11th consecutive win over the Panthers.
Notre Dame is led scoring-wise by its three All-ACC guards, Sonia Citron, Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles. In a 91-52 win over No. 21 California on Sunday, the trio combined for 56 points, 16 assists and 7 steals. The 39-point victory was Notre Dame’s largest ever over a ranked conference opponent and came on the heels of a 49-point win over Stanford, the Cardinal’s largest margin of defeat in program history.
Hidalgo and Miles pepper the national rankings this year. Hidalgo ranks second nationally with 25.9 points per game along with 4.0 steals per game, good for third in the country. Miles leads the ACC with 6.4 assists per game, a mark that ranks sixth nationally. She is the only player in the country averaging 16 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
Of note, Thursday will be a return to the undergraduate days for Liatu King, who transferred to Notre Dame after four years at Pittsburgh. She was an All-ACC First Team contributor for the Panthers and the ACC’s Most Improved Player last season. King is currently one of four players in the nation averaging 12 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals. She leads the ACC with a 57.3 clip from the floor.
Pittsburgh is in its second season under head coach Tory Verdi. The group is struggling in ACC play but has strung together back-to-back victories over Boston College and SMU. Forward Khadija Faye has been a bright spot for the group, as she has 11 double-doubles on the season and is coming off a performance against SMU with 22 points and a career-high 17 rebounds.
Outside of Faye’s play, Pitt brings a balanced offensive effort to the court with six other players averaging at least 7 points per game.
Notre Dame is 36-4 all-time against Pittsburgh and 7-0 under Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey. Thursday’s game begins at 8 p.m. Jenn Hildreth and Brooke Weisbrod will call the game for the ACC Network.