NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The (RV) Notre Dame women’s basketball team kept its early season momentum rolling on Thursday with a 71-56 victory over Fordham inside Purcell Pavilion. The Fighting Irish (4-0) built a lead as large as 21 and once again closed the door down the stretch, holding the Rams (2-1) to just two points over the final three minutes.
Dara Mabrey led the Irish with a season high 20 points, in which 15 came in the first quarter. Maddy Westbeld stepped up in the second half, where she scored 11 of her 18 points, to go along with her seven rebounds.
“I’m so happy with this win, so happy to be back at home with these two games before we head off for our holiday tournament.” Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey said. “I’m really pleased with the effort of this group. It was a really hard, adverse game. We knew coming into this game that Fordham was a tough team and it was going to be a battle. They have a great coach and some great schemes, so we knew it was going to be a physical game and I thought we responded to that. We had a lull in the third quarter, but we found a way. I thought we were really gritty and we played together. So many people had so many incredible contributions. I’m so pleased with this group. This is my first time going 4-0, and I love to celebrate all the small victories. I feel like we’re growing together as a unit and I’m so encouraged by what we do game in and game out.”
Freshman Sonia Citron, who had been close in previous games with earning a double-double, finally achieved her first tonight. The New York native recorded 12 points and a season best 10 rebounds.
Furthermore, Maya Dodson reeled in a career high 11 boards to go with her five points. Meanwhile, Anaya Peoples supplied a season high eight points, along with her five rebounds.
How It Happened
Mabrey played like a woman possessed in the first quarter. The New Jersey native couldn’t miss, going 6-for-6 in the period (including two from deep) to total 15 of the team’s 23 points. Defensively, the Irish held the Rams to just one field goal over the final 5:50 to take a 23-9 lead after one.
In the second, a Citron and-one kicked off an Irish 8-0 run, which nearly spanned two minutes. A Maddy Westbeld layup at 4:09 extended the Irish lead to 41-20; however, that marked Notre Dame’s last basket of the half, as Fordham produced a mini-rally to cut it to 42-28 at the break.
It was a low scoring third with each side putting up 12 points. The quarter was highlighted by a 6-0 run in which Abby Prohaska and Citron converted back-to-back fast-break layups, followed by yet another Westbeld jumper in the paint, building a lead of 20.
Yet, Fordham ended the third quarter on a 6-0 run, which later extended into an 13-0 scoring spree in the fourth which cut the deficit to single digits. Up just 54-47 with under eight minutes remaining, Westbeld answered the call with five straight points.
Citron, like Westbeld, also connected on a pivotal three with 4:19 left, which put the Irish up 64-48. Fordham’s Kaitlyn Downey dropped back-to-back treys within a 30-second span to put a little pressure back on the Irish, up just 10 with three minutes remaining.
However, the Irish defense put its foot down while Dodson, Mabrey, Miles and Westbeld got it done on the free-throw line, ultimately securing the 71-56 victory.
Up Next
The Irish finish off the homestand with Bryant University on Sunday, Nov. 21. It’ll be a special tip time of 5 p.m. due to Notre Dame volleyball at home earlier in the day.
— ND —