Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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58 NOV. 12, 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED WOMEN'S BASKETBALL BY LOU SOMOGYI O n Halloween eve, prior to receiv- ing all 31 votes at No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press poll the next day, Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw wondered whether such expectations were more a trick than a treat. A 107-65 exhibition victory versus Lewis College Oct. 30 left McGraw miffed about a familiar topic: defen- sive commitment. The Irish were of- ten slow in their defensive rotations or on transition, allowing Lewis to convert eight three pointers while also missing several other open looks along the perimeter or close to the basket. McGraw's reasoning is if this is the way her Fighting Irish compete against a Division II school, then the bull's-eye on their collective back as the reigning champs and preseason No. 1 will sooner or later cause re- gret. "We're a really capable offensive team," McGraw said in her opening statement after the game. "We have a lot of different weapons, a lot of people that can score — but we just have no desire to defend. "We have so much work to do on the defensive end. We're capable for the most part, but we are not will- ing. I think that's a huge problem that's going to continue throughout the year. "I imagine we're going to get beat a bunch because we can't wait until that one day when we finally have to defend and then expect it's going to come. It's just not there." Despite the return of two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year Brianna Turner and her shot-block- ing presence (she had two versus the Flyers), the overall defensive struc- ture was off kilter. "We need more of a presence in- side — we're not intimidating any- one," McGraw said. "They just come in and score pretty much at will, 65 points. That's way too much to give up." The Irish played without starting senior point guard Marina Mabrey and sophomore forward Danielle Patterson, who were dealing with leg injuries and had MRI scans during the week. Mabrey earlier had been battling a hip flexor, although she did suit up for the game. Junior guard Jackie Young led the charge with 25 points, eight re- bounds, six assists and four steals in 28 minutes. Senior forward Jes- sica Shepard added 23 points, while Turner contributed 18 points and eight rebounds. The trio combined for 29-of-35 shooting (82.9 percent) from the floor while All-American senior guard Arike Ogunbowale had an off night shooting, converting only 5 of 17 (0 of 5 beyond the arc). However, Ogunbowale did dish out 11 assists, mostly in transition with sharp passes in fast-break situations. Freshman Jordan Nixon (nine points, one assist, one turnover) started in place of Mabrey, while s o p h o m o r e f o r w a r d M i k a y l a Vaughn, also back from an ACL tear, totaled 11 points and 15 rebounds (eight on offense) in only 16 minutes. Notre Dame will open the 2018- 19 regular season by hosting Har- vard Nov. 9 at 4 p.m. the Friday prior to the home football game against Florida State. Three days later, it wel- comes in Penn, the preseason favor- ite to win the Ivy League (Harvard is third). ✦ THREE-POINT PLAY 1. Back To Speed: There is not a frontcourt player in America who runs the floor in transi- tion better than senior Brianna Turner. Side- lined all of last season with a torn ACL suffered in March 2017, she showed no ill effects from the setback and continued to display her su- perior mobility on the fast break. Being able to go full speed this August on the tour through Europe provided an advanced benefit. 2. Ball Magnet: Because sophomore forward Mikayla Vaughn tore her ACL last November, the rust in her game showed more than it did with Turner, but the hustle that has been her trademark — nicknamed "Energizer Bunny" by Muffet McGraw — remained evident. She is a magnet for loose balls (15 rebounds in 16 min- utes) with non-stop drive that will make her the top sub off the bench in the frontcourt. 3. Adjustment Phase: While point guard Jordan Nixon will rotate regularly with her ball-handling skills, the other three freshmen are in developmental stages. Guard Katlyn Gilbert has battled a right shoulder injury (she wears a sleeve brace there), and it seemed to affect her stroke while going 1 of 6 against Lewis. Defensive specialist and tenacious Abby Prohaska was whistled for five fouls in 13 min- utes, while forward Danielle Cosgrove, who converted the team's lone three-pointer in the final minute, will bide her time behind the Turner-Jessica Shepard-Vaughn trio. — Lou Somogyi No. 1 Notre Dame Needs A Stronger Defensive Commitment The return of two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year Brianna Turner will provide Notre Dame with the shot-blocking presence it was missing last season. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND