No. 3 Notre Dame Rolls Past Vols

How times have changed.

For the sixth straight year, No. 3 Notre Dame (17-1 overall, 5-0 in the ACC) defeated No. 18 Tennessee (11-6 overall, 2-2 in the SEC) by double digits, this time 79-66 at the Purcell Pavilion on Monday night in a game telecast on ESPN2.

Once the superpower with UConn of women’s college basketball, the eight-time national champ Volunteers (from 1987-2008) won their first 20 meetings against the Fighting Irish. Since 2011, Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw’s program has made a 180-degree turn in the rivalry.

Six Notre Dame players tallied in double figures, led by sophomore forward Brianna Turner and freshman guard Arike Ogunbowale with 14 apiece. Turner also paced the Irish in rebounds (nine), blocked shots (five) and had a career-high three assists.

Notre Dame trailed 18-15 at the end of the first quarter, but closed the second quarter with a 15-4 run (including a 9-0 stretch) to go from a 25-21 deficit to 36-29 halftime lead.

Sparking the Irish again in the first half off the bench were freshmen guards Marina Mabrey and Ogunbowale, who tied sophomore forward Kathryn Westbeld for first-half scoring honors, all with nine apiece.

In the second half, Tennessee was never able to get closer than 42-35, and thereafter the Irish went on their second 15-4 spurt, extending the lead to 18 (57-39) at the end of the third quarter with a combination of defensive pressure and a strong pick-and-roll game that led to a 38-28 Irish scoring advantage in the paint.

“That was my favorite quarter,” McGraw said with a smile. “We hit some threes [early], so we got transitions going, and we got rebounds [although Tennessee finished with a 36-32 advantage on the boards].”

Although Notre Dame entered the contest leading the nation in three-point field goal percentage (44.9), its 16-of-26 shooting from the field (61.5) in the second half came on the strength of layups off of back cuts, alley-oops or fast breaks. The Irish attempted only three shots beyond the arc in the second half and nine for the game (converting four).

All 11 Irish players saw action, but not one attempted more than 10 shots. Particularly gratifying to McGraw was the low-post and high-post efforts from the tandem of Turner and Westbeld, who combined for 13-of-17 shooting from the floor. Turner didn’t take her first shot until 4:46 was left in the first half but finished 7 of 10 from the floor. With Tennessee sagging inside on Turner early, Westbeld drained a couple of mid-range jumpers, plus a three, and finished 6 of 7 from the floor for 13 points to go with six rebounds.

Notre Dame, which improved to 12-0 on ESPN’s Big Monday, hosts Syracuse on Thursday night.

Three-Point Play

1. Iron Woman

Continuing to get overshadowed is junior point guard Lindsay Allen, a capable 20-point scorer on any given night but who prioritizes setting up everyone else for success while having a commanding presence on both ends of the floor. There is no true point guard behind her, so her durability and stamina are vital to Notre Dame’s fortunes. The junior already is tied for second place at Notre Dame for most consecutive starts with 95, and needs only three more to break the 97 standard set by Jacqueline Batteast from 2001-05. She is sixth on the team in scoring with a 9.2 average and had 10 versus the Vols, but her seven assists, four steals and four rebounds conveyed her overall impact.

Now in her 29th year at Notre Dame, McGraw refers to Allen as the “steadiest player I’ve ever coached.”

2. Riding The Bench

For the 11th time in 17 games this year, Notre Dame’s bench finished with at least 30 points in a game, outscoring the Volunteers 30-17. Much of that goes to the instant offense rookie duo of Mabrey and Ogunbowale, who entered the contest as the teams third and fourth leading scorers with average of 12.9 and 11.2, respectively. Ogunbowale had 14 points in 20 minutes against Tennessee, while Mabrey chipped in 13 in only 15 minutes. The ultra-aggressive Ogunbowale has gradually improved in shot selection and become more proficient from the field while also leading the team in free throw attempts (71) and free throws made (46).

3. Succeeding A Legend

Is there a more thankless job in coaching than having to replace a legend? Tennessee’s Holly Warlick is in her fourth season of succeeding Pat Summitt, who won eight national titles and made Final Four berths a birthright in Knoxville. With no Final Fours her first three seasons and a disappointing 11-6 start this year with one of the three or four most talented rosters in the nation, Warlick is beginning to feel the heat and addressed the “negativity” surrounding the program, adding “Hey, guys, give this group a break.” However, when you sign up for the job at Tennessee, that comes with the package. The successors for Geno Auriemma and McGraw will discover the same some day.