No. 6 Notre Dame advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after a strong 79-60 win over No. 11 Fairfield.
The Irish took the court against the Stags on Saturday, Mar. 21, in Columbus, Ohio. After a strong early start by the Irish starting five, the Irish maintained their lead the entirety of the game. Junior guard Hannah Hidalgo led the Irish with 23 points and eight steals, playing just under 33 minutes in the Irish victory.
Last season, Notre Dame entered the tournament as a No. 3 seed but fell in the Sweet Sixteen to TCU in heartbreaking fashion. Under the direction of head coach Niele Ivey, the Irish have been a consistent presence in the NCAA Tournament, and this year is no exception.
After being named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year, all eyes were on Hidalgo as she hoped to start her team off strong. She was joined by senior guard Cassandre Prosper, who was dominant in the paint and tallied 17 points and eight defensive rebounds to give the Irish the advantage. Graduate guard Iyana Moore played the most minutes for the Irish, coming in at under 38 minutes and connecting for 18 points. The three women have been standouts all year and began the tournament with a promising performance that they must maintain for Notre Dame to secure success.
The Stags won the MAAC Championship and entered March postseason play as the No. 11 seed, a massive feat for a team that is not a regular contender. Despite their first-round exit, they were led in points by junior road runner Meghan Anderson, who scored an impressive 21 points.
The Irish secured possession after tipoff, with a layup by Prosper putting the Irish on the board first. Despite Notre Dame’s lead, Fairfield was not far behind in possessions and scoring. The Stags were quick at resetting into their offense, and their steady turnarounds helped prevent the Irish from running away early on. The Irish ended the first quarter with a 17-12 lead.
The Irish were hands-on in defending the Stags, drawing four fouls but ultimately relenting five. However, the Stags were aggressive in capitalizing on the six turnovers the Irish gave up. The teams left the first half after strong, scrappy play, the Irish deepening their lead 36-24.
Fairfield was experimenting with line combinations and substitutions, desperately seeking combinations that clicked if it were to keep the game in reach. The Irish bench didn’t play their strongest basketball in the first half and needed to control their fouling and turnovers to not give the Stags any easy scoring chances and points.
Halftime proved beneficial for the Irish, for they came into the second half with a steadier rhythm and eagerness visible on the court. The Irish earned three steals and limited their fouling; however, they drew eight fouls and went 7-9 at the line. Despite playing stronger, the Irish still could not connect from the arc, only scoring one 3-pointer in the quarter. The Stags found success shooting from behind the line, choosing to take strong shots from afar as opposed to battling the Irish in the paint. Of their seven attempts, Fairfield scored four. The third quarter was the most productive for both teams, the Irish scoring 26 and the Stags scoring 19 points to further the Irish lead to 62-43.
Both teams slowed down in the final quarter, with Fairfield giving up seven turnovers that resulted in 13 points for Notre Dame. Notre Dame and Fairfield each scored 17 points, and despite the valiant efforts of Fairfield junior guard Kaety L’Amoreaux, the Stags could not overcome the steady distance Notre Dame maintained all game.
Despite leaving the tournament in the first round, the Stags left everything on the court. They represented the MAAC, a conference that does not often see itself represented in March, and proved they could compete with other top-ranked teams.
The Irish advanced, but their game was full of the explosiveness that spectators have associated with the Irish this season; however, their strong foundations and talents were still visible on the court. In order for the Irish to push past the Sweet Sixteen that has bested them in recent years, Ivey’s team needs to rely on strong performances from starts and the bench alike, for reliance on certain key players is not enough to win it all.
Notre Dame will face No. 3 Ohio State in the second round. The ACC and Big Ten opponents did not play each other this season, but the Buckeyes went 27-7 in the regular season and just bested No. 14 Howard 75-54. But as one of the top four seeds, they have the home court advantage, and the Irish must drown out the noise to compete for a chance to move on.
Notre Dame and Ohio State play Monday, Mar. 23, at Value City Arena. Tipoff is at 4 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on ESPN.
