Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1316443
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com DEC. 19, 2020 49 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL A loss to a Mid-American Confer- ence team might not look good on paper, but Ohio is a quality outfit that won at Ohio State last year and possesses a continuity and overall court sense Notre Dame will attempt to develop this season. Ivey's first career victory as a col- lege head coach was recorded two days later with Notre Dame's 88-68 decision over Miami (Ohio) at home. Sixth-year senior guard Destinee Walker paced the Irish with 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the floor and Westbeld — who can line up most any- where — showcased her all-around skill with 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block. Peoples (14 points, 11 rebounds and five assists) recorded her second double- double in as many games this season. The Michigan game at home on Dec. 3 was another example of vet- eran team chemistry by a ranked outfit trumping younger individual pieces. All five Wolverine starters from last season returned, and an- other vital piece was added when a top Nebraska player transferred in. Five times in the second half Notre Dame closed to within one point, the last at 56-55, but Michigan repeatedly answered with patient ball movement, timely three-pointers (7 of 19) and nearly flawless free throw shooting (17 of 19, while Notre Dame was 10 of 18). "We couldn't get the stops that we needed to go out and run in transi- tion, and I wasn't too happy with our effort defensively in the second half," Ivey said. "I know we have a young team and several additions that haven't practiced a lot. Hope- fully, we can come back with a better defensive effort." Westbeld led the Fighting Irish with 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while Peoples and Mabrey had 13 and 12 points, respec- tively, but the Irish wore down at the end, converting only one of their final 10 field goal tries. ✦ Three-Point Play 1. Mabrey & Westbeld: The Sequel The last time Notre Dame had a Mabrey and Westbeld on the floor together was April 2018, when Marina Mabrey and Kathryn Westbeld were starters for the national champs. The new version with junior guard Dara Mabrey and freshman forward Maddy Westbeld is providing impact as well. Mabrey is the vocal leader on the floor at point guard and provides the Irish an upgrade with her three- point shooting, where they were among the worst in the country last year (27.1 percent, and only 4.1 made per game). In the first four contests this season, she was 9 of 25 beyond the arc, a solid 36.0 percent, and debuted with 34 points in the one-point loss at Ohio. The 6-3 Westbeld's skill sets off the dribble and in the post are advanced, as are her passing acumen and basketball IQ. Through four games she was averaging a team-high 17.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest, and was second in assists (12) and steals (eight). She already has the build of a college upperclassman. Once foul-trouble issues get rectified, she will be an even greater force. 2. Continuing Continuity It might take until mid-to-late January before Niele Ivey and her staff begin to see this crew jell. The coaches are tinkering with various lineups to find the right positions and roles for everyone. When 6-3 senior center Mikki Vaughn returns, that will also add a new dynamic into roles that won't come right away either. That is why we foresee the latter part of January as a time when continuity might crystallize. Vaughn is such an X-factor, particularly with how many quality minutes she would be able to supply. This will be and is an improved team from last year's 13-18 implosion, but it wasn't going to upgrade from sub-.500 back to superpower in one fell swoop. Getting into the NCAA Tournament and a top-five ACC finish should remain a reasonable expectation. 3. What Is The Best Combination? Ideally you'd like to get the five former McDonald's All-Americans — sixth-year senior Destinee Walker, junior Katlyn Gilbert, sophomores Sam Brunelle and Anaya Peoples, and freshman Maddy Westbeld — play- ing as one. Yet it's evident that Dara Mabrey already is the vocal floor general the team turns to, and Vaughn could be the same in the frontcourt if she can return reasonably healthy. Junior Abby Prohaska provides a complemen- tary element. How that rotation melds into cohesion will be the season-long intrigue. — Lou Somogyi MADDY WESTBELD LEADS THE IRISH PAST IUPUI Earlier this month, first-year Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey entered sacred basketball soil when she indicated that 6-3 Maddy Westbeld joined Skylar Diggins and Arike Ogunbowale as the most prepared college freshmen she's ever seen in nearly 20 seasons at Notre Dame as a player or coach. Early on, Westbeld is living up to that praise — and then some. During Notre Dame's hard-fought 65-58 victory over IUPUI on Dec. 6, Westbeld helped the Irish rally from a 33-25 halftime deficit and paced the squad in minutes (37), scoring (a career-high 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting), rebounding (six), assists (four) and steals (two). Trailing 53-52, Westbeld had two put-backs on offensive rebounds to put the Irish ahead 56-53. After the Jaguars tied it at 58, Westbeld drained a three to put Notre Dame ahead for good. Later she made a clutch steal and finished with two free throws. The rookie tallied 12 of Notre Dame's 20 fourth-quarter points against a veteran unit that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last year. The last 2:44 saw Notre Dame close on a 7-0 run, and IUPUI failed to score over the final 3:03. Like Westbeld, sophomore guard Anaya Peoples has tallied in double figures in all four games for the 2-2 Irish, chipping in with 14 points. Classmate Sam Brunelle, gradually working back into playing shape from a lingering foot injury, provided 22 quality minutes with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor and added four rebounds. — Lou Somogyi Junior Dara Mabrey opened her Notre Dame career with a team-high 34 points against Ohio, including a 7-of-14 effort on three- pointers. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS