| 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. — No. 14 Notre Dame (8-1) will close out the 2023-24 non-conference schedule on Thursday with a home matchup against regional foe Western Michigan (5-4). The game is exactly one year after the teams met in South Bend last season. The Irish won, 85-57.
Last year, Notre Dame held just a 38-30 lead at the break before blowing the game open in the second half. The Irish came out of the locker room and went on a 17-0 run, while Western Michigan scored a total of just 10 points in Q3. Westbeld led the Irish with 23 points, 19 of which were in the second half. She also had 8 rebounds. Olivia Miles had 12 assists on the night.
But this is a different year, albeit with many of the same names on the court for both teams. Western Michigan is coming off of a 78-76 victory over Purdue Fort Wayne. Saginaw Valley State graduate transfer Kaitlyn Zarycki is pacing the Broncos in scoring, posting 16.4 points per game. She is also leading them on the boards with 5.4 rebounds per contest.
Western Michigan made 8 3-pointers last year in Purcell, and the team enters Thursday’s game averaging 7.7 per game this season. For reference, the Irish are making 5.6.
The Broncos will try to stop reigning ACC Rookie of the Week (for the fourth time) Hannah Hidalgo, who leads the ACC in scoring (23.6) and the nation in steals (6.1). She is coming off of Purdue with a pair of career highs as well: 10 rebounds and 8 assists.
Westbeld has been unstoppable in the rebounding category for Notre Dame; she has posted three straight double-doubles for the first time in her career. At 14.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, she is nearly averaging a double-double, too.
Thursday’s game tips off on the ACC Network at 6 p.m. Notre Dame is 10-0 all-time against Western Michigan.