Notre Dame’s early-round domination continued on Sunday as the Irish defeated the Michigan Wolverines 76-55 in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in front of the home fans at Purcell Pavillion.
Photo via Notre Dame Athletics
Notre Dame jumped out to an early 6-0 lead as they held the Wolverines scoreless for the first 2:46. The duo of Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron helped extend the Irish advantage to 11-2 with 6:30 on the clock. Both sides went back and forth until a Citron three kick-started a 13-0 run that put the Irish in front 30-10 with under a minute remaining. Liza Karlen knocked down a mid-range jumper with two seconds left in the quarter that gave the Irish a 32-12 lead heading into the second frame. Citron, Hannah Hidalgo, and Liatu King led the Irish offense with eight points apiece in the first ten minutes.
The Wolverines punched back at the beginning of the second quarter. Michigan’s 10-2 run led by Olivia Olson in the first 5:24 of the frame cut their deficit to 34-22. The Irish woke up after this and finished the quarter on a 12-6 run thanks to a couple of stepback three-pointers from Miles and Citron. This quarter-closing run gave the Irish a 46-28 lead at the half. Michigan’s Olson led all second-quarter scorers with eight points but she was just one of three Wolverines to record a basket in the frame. The Irish received production from five scorers led by King with four points.
Good shooting was the key for Notre Dame establishing their first-half lead. The Irish shot 58% from the field, 42% from three, and 100% from the free-throw line in the first twenty minutes. King, Citron, and Hidalgo all topped double-digit points in the half. Additionally, the Irish out-rebounded the visitors 19-12 in the half, leading to six second-chance points for the home squad. King led the way with seven boards.
Both offenses began the second half slow with Michigan out-scoring Notre Dame just 4-2 in the first 3:57. The Irish proceeded to go on a 12-0 run from 6:03 - 3:25 to extend their lead to 60-32. The offenses then went quiet again as Michigan closed the quarter on a 4-1 run that cut their deficit to 61-36 heading into the final quarter. Michigan’s Olson and Notre Dame’s Hidalgo and King led third-quarter scorers with four points apiece. Six different scorers hit a basket in the quarter for the Irish while Michigan received production from just three scorers.
The fourth quarter opened with a Citron three-pointer and a couple of made free throws from Maddy Westbeld pushing the Irish lead to 30, 66-36, with 8:39 to play. Following a Michigan layup, Hidalgo went on a 7-0 run by herself that pushed the Irish lead to 73-38 with 6:52 on the clock. With the Irish taking their foot off the gas, Michigan closed the game on a 17-3 run led by Olson and Syla Swords to give the Irish a 76-55 second-round victory. Swords led all fourth-quarter scorers with ten points as Hidalgo paced the Irish with seven.
While the second half was not perfect, Notre Dame’s ability to score in the paint gave them the needed advantage. The Irish notched 16 points in the paint compared to eight from Michigan in the half. Notre Dame’s defense also locked in, especially in the third quarter, as they forced ten turnovers including five steals to close the game.
Notre Dame is set to face the winner of TCU/Louisville in the Sweet 16 on March 29 in Birmingham.
Irish Stars
Hannah Hidalgo: 21 points (8-14 FGs, 2-4 3FGs), 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, +30
Liatu King: 18 points (7-7 FGs), 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, +39
Sonia Citron: 16 points (6-12 FGs, 3-6 3FGs), 6 rebounds, +28
Key Team Stats
Field Goal Percentage: ND (51%) - UM (37%)
Three Point Percentage: UM (50%) - ND (33%)
Free Throw Percentage: ND (78%) - UM (62%)
Turnovers: UM (16) - ND (12)
Steals: ND (9) - UM (5)
Rebounds: ND (34) - UM (31)
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