On Sunday, the Notre Dame women’s basketball team faced off in a home battle against No. 9 N.C. State. The game against a powerful ACC opponent marked the Irish (6-11, 1-4 ACC) women’s fourth game of the new year. The final score of the game was 56-90, in favor of the Wolfpack (15-1, 4-1 ACC).
This was the ninth meeting between the two teams. After losing to N.C. State, the Irish still lead the rivalry with a record of 7-2.
This loss marks Notre Dame’s third consecutive loss of 2020, the first two defeats coming a week earlier at the hands of Syracuse and Boston College. Additionally, the 36-point loss that the Irish suffered against the Wolfpack is the largest point differential of any game this season.
The Irish women’s biggest lead of the game — five points — came towards the end of the first quarter. Apart from this lead, N.C. State was ahead in the score for the majority of the game. Their highest point differential was 35 points early in the third quarter.
All 12 of Notre Dame’s suited up players saw playing time. Sophomore guard Katlyn Gilbert led the Irish in this area, playing for more than 35 minutes. The Indianapolis native also led the team in points and steals, ending the game with four rebounds and a career-high 25 points against the Wolfpack. Gilbert shot 12-for-26 from the field, attempting more shots than any of the other Irish players.
Another high-performing player this weekend was graduate student transfer Destinee Walker. The 5‘10“ guard was the only other player to score double-digit points, finishing with a total of 11. Relying heavily on the former North Carolina player, head coach Muffet McGraw also played Walker for more than 35 minutes.
Freshman guard Anaya Peoples re-injured her shoulder during the second quarter and left the game after scoring three points.
One of the few positive statistics for the Irish this game was points scored by fast breaks. The Irish scored eight, almost double the amount of points off of fast breaks from their N.C. State counterparts.
On the other hand, the Wolfpack demonstrated a much higher ability to score. N.C. State's bench accounted for 30 of their 90 points, while Notre Dame’s reserves only accounted for six of their 56 points. This statistic wound up playing a significant role in the final score, and N.C. State proved to have a much deeper roster than the women of Notre Dame.
On Thursday, the Irish will be facing off against the Duke Blue Devils in Durham, North Carolina, marking the team’s first trip to North Carolina of the season. The team will be looking to improve on their 6-11 record with a road win. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. Thursday.
