| ACC QUARTERFINALS | NO. 1 NOTRE DAME VS NO. 8 NC STATE |
|---|---|
| WHEN: | FRIDAY, MARCH 3 | 2 E.T. |
| WHERE: | GREENSBORO, NC | GREENSBORO COLISEUM |
| WATCH: | ACCN |
| LISTEN: | NOTRE DAME RADIO NETWORK | CLICK HERE |
| NOTES: | ND NOTES |
| SOCIAL: | @NDWBB | #GOIRISH |
GREENSBORO, N.C. — When Notre Dame (24-4) went to Raleigh on Jan. 29, the Irish nearly mounted an improbable comeback, ultimately falling to NC State, 69-65. They’ll have a shot at revenge on Friday, as the Irish open up play at the 2023 ACC Tournament against the Wolfpack (20-10).
The Wolfpack have already gotten their ACC Tournament play started, downing Syracuse on Thursday, 83-58. Five players scored in double-figures, including River Baldwin. The center came of the bench and went 7-7 plus 7 rebounds.
Both teams will take the floor without their star players. Irish point guard Olivia Miles will be sidelined on Friday after suffering a knee injury at Louisville on Sunday. NC State’s leading scorer Diamond Johnson had 20 points against the Irish in the Jan. 29 matchup, but she will not play Friday. She has been in and out of play all season with a lower body injury.
The Irish will turn to junior forward Maddy Westbeld and sophomore guard Sonia Citron for leadership, both in the form of buckets and in the huddle. Citron is coming off of a season-high 27 points at Louisville and is now Notre Dame’s leading scorer at 14.5 points per game. She has the second-best field goal percentage in the conference amongst guards (.500).
In the absence of Miles, expect to see increased playing time for freshman KK Bransford and Cassandre Prosper. Bransford’s 10 points against Georgia Tech and 14 points at Louisville last week earned her ACC Rookie of the Week and USBWA Freshman of the Week honors on Monday and Tuesday. She will looked to add to her double-digit-point count, which currently sits at 12.
Friday’s contest tips off at 2 p.m. ET on the ACC Network. Pam Ward and Stephanie White will be on the call. The Irish are 8-3 all-time against NC State.