| 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. — After a long offseason, No. 6 Notre Dame opens its highly anticipated 24-25 campaign on Monday night against Mercyhurst.
The Irish are coming off of a third consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey’s team went 28-7 and won the 2024 ACC Tournament, and the group is hungry for more this season.
The public got its first look at this year’s Irish squad on Wednesday, as Notre Dame smothered Davenport in an exhibition, 101-41. Hannah Hidalgo, Liatu King and Olivia Miles, in particular, stuffed the stat sheet. Hidalgo had 31 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds and 5 steals. In her Irish debut, King had 27 points and led the team with 14 boards. Miles, who was returning to the court after spending last season rehabbing a torn ACL, had a near triple-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists.
Freshman Kate Koval made an immediate impact on Wednesday and will make her formal debut on Monday. She had a team-leading 4 blocks along with 11 points and 8 rebounds.
The Irish defense was suffocating on the whole, holding the Panthers to just 26.2 percent from the floor and forcing 25 turnovers.
Mercyhurst went 18-10 (14-8) last season but lost the majority of its scoring to graduation. Bailey Kuhns and Jenna Van Schaik are two key returners for the Lakers. Kuhns shot 50 percent from the floor last year and averaged 14.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest. Mercyhurst also welcomed five freshmen to the team this offseason.
Notre Dame has never faced Mercyhurst, and Monday will be the Lakers’ first game in the Northeast Conference and at the D-I level. The game tips off on the ACC Network at 5 p.m. Roy Philpott and Debbie Antonelli will be on the call.