The week got off to a rough start for the #2 Irish. The team lost to the #1 UConn Huskies for the sixth straight time. However, they did bounce back with a relatively comfortable win over a DePaul team that has given them some very close games in recent years.

Game Summaries

On Wednesday, #2 Notre Dame and #1 UConn met again, in one of women’s college basketball’s greatest rivalries. While these games are less frequent now that the teams don’t share a conference, they are no less anticipated by fans. The game got off to a very rocky start for the Irish, who struggled to settle in. Younger players appeared to be nervous and were rushing shots. They trailed the Huskies 23-14 after the first quarter. Things seemed to be turning around in the second quarter, as the Irish went on a big run and were able to head into the locker room at halftime with the game tied at 34. The third quarter got off to a slow start for both teams, but when UConn threatened to pull away, the Irish were able to tie it up at 42 with just under two minutes remaining in the quarter. From that point on, UConn gradually built their lead over the Irish, who were just unable to keep up. Poor shooting and decision-making continued to hurt the team. A trio of UConn stars, Napheesa Collier, Katie Lou Samuelson, and Gabby Williams, combined to score 57 points in the game, almost outscoring the entire Notre Dame team. The game ended in a 72-61 UConn victory, giving the Huskies their 83rd straight win.

Fortunately, Notre Dame was able to bounce back on Saturday against the DePaul Blue Demons. Coached by Doug Bruno, DePaul has given Notre Dame some trouble in recent years. The Irish eked out a narrow 95-90 win in last year’s December matchup and a one-point overtime win in 2014. Coming off the loss to UConn and facing another tough opponent, I was concerned the team would come out flat. However, after two Brianna Turner free throws tied the game at 2-2, the Irish never trailed again. The Irish out rebounded DePaul 48-35 behind a double-double from Brianna Turner that included 11 rebounds, and a career-high tying 9 rebounds from Lindsay Allen. Arike Ogunbowale once again led the Irish with 17 points.

Observations

I was so glad I had a few days after the UConn loss before I needed to write this post. Frankly, I bet Muffet McGraw would have liked to have a few days before she had to have a press conference after that loss. It was incredibly disappointing. It is always disappointing to lose to UConn, but to play that poorly in the loss makes it feel so much worse. As McGraw said after the game, it’s one thing to play a great game and lose on a buzzer beater – at least then you can take some positives away. To lose because you didn’t play well is another animal entirely.

The team looked uncomfortable. They made bad decisions. They had some sloppy turnovers. There were long stretches of the game (the majority of the third quarter, for example) when they could not knock down a shot. There were missed layups. There were missed opportunities when UConn had scoring droughts of their own. I don’t disagree with McGraw – a lot of things just should have been much better. I’m not looking for the moral victory here. The fact is, the team didn’t play as well as I think they are capable of playing. That said…

Let’s all take a few deep breaths. Better? Here’s the thing. When I talked to people before this game, I kept returning to one main point. Yes, I wanted the team to beat UConn on Wednesday, and it would be amazing and exciting if they did. But, at this point in the season… it doesn’t matter. This loss didn’t really change anything. UConn will still be ranked #1, Notre Dame will still likely be ranked #2. Their conference standing won’t change. They will still be heavily favored to win the ACC regular season title. If they keep winning games, as seems likely, they will still have a great chance for a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Ultimately, nothing really changed. I’m still disappointed, but I’m ready to move on.

Hopefully this was a wake-up call for the team. They got to see where they stand against the nation’s undisputed top team. They can look back at this game and see a lot of things they need to work on. I imagine McGraw and her coaching staff were hammering home those points this week. They have a few months to improve, and a good conference schedule to prepare them, before they even have a chance of meeting up with UConn again. Of course, UConn will also be improving during that time. They always do – Geno Auriemma isn’t going to let them sit back and coast until the tournament. However, if all goes well, maybe Notre Dame will get another crack at the defending champions during March Madness.

In other WBB news…

On December 5th, freshman Jackie Young was named the ACC Rookie of the Week following a 20 point performance against Valparaiso. Young, who has shown a lot of promise for the Irish so far this season, suffered an ankle injury late in the loss to UConn and missed Saturday’s game at DePaul. The team is hoping to have her back for the next game.

Ali Patberg continues to recover from walking pneumonia, and missed both games this week.

Notre Dame’s win at DePaul on Saturday marked its 12th consecutive road win. This ties Louisville for the second-longest streak in the country behind (of course) UConn. Hopefully Notre Dame can extend the streak, as their next five games are all on the road.

Burger Basket Leaderboard

At Notre Dame home games where the Irish score 88 points or more, the fans in attendance receive coupons for a free burger. We’re tracking which player is responsible for feeding the fans the most often over the course of the season.

No updates this week, as the Irish didn’t reach 88 points in the UConn game. There won’t be any changes for a while, as the team will be on the road until January 5th.

Jackie Young – 2
Erin Boley – 1
Arike Ogunbowale – 1

Coming Up

Notre Dame will rest for most of the week during final exams, and then will play their second of six consecutive road games when they visit Toledo on Sunday.