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| Game 11 | Notre Dame at Virginia Tech |
|---|---|
| When: | Sunday, Dec. 18 | 4 PM ET |
| Where: | BLACKSBURG, VA | CASSELL COLISEUM |
| See: | accn |
| Listen: | Notre Dame Radio Network | Click here |
| Notes: | ND notes |
| Social: | @NDWBB | #Gorish |
| Tickets: | Buy tickets |
Blacksburg, Va. – It’s the best offense in the ACC and the best defense in the ACC. Something has to give.
Karen and Kevin Keyes family head coach Niall Ivey will be picking her team to add to their winning streak, no. – Sunday 10 clash. As Notre Dame serves as the ACC opener, the Hokies see Boston College this year.
Notre Dame’s most recent appearance on the basketball court was a 64-point win over Merrimack. The Irish shot 55 percent on the day and had seven players in double figures.
Virginia Tech won’t let that happen. Led by Preseason ACC Player of the Year and recent ACC Player of the Week Elizabeth Keatley, the Hokies allowed just 48.5 points per game in an 86-48 victory over UNC Asheville. A 6-6 Keatley is hitting .525 on the year, which is sixth in the ACC and behind Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles and Sonya Citron (.526). The Virginia Tech center is averaging 19.0 points per game, which is currently third in the conference.
Hokies head coach Kenny Brooks, however, will be without Kitelli’s partner in crime, Ashley Owusu. The guard is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair a broken pinky. Owusu is a Maryland transfer and last year’s Ann Meyers Drysdale Award winner for the nation’s best shooting guard. Kayanna Traylor, Georgia Amore and Kayla King are responsible for picking up some slack. The three guards are posting 12.2, 12.1 and 11.2 points per contest.
While Virginia Tech has played some formidable opponents through the first six weeks of the season, they have yet to face an offense like Notre Dame’s. The Irish average 88.2 points every time they take the floor.
Ivey’s squad is led by Miles, who hit a program-record third career triple on Saturday. She is Notre Dame’s leader in assists (16.0 per game) and rebounds (7.8 per game), and leads the ACC with 7.2 assists per contest.
If not Miles’ night, Notre Dame has options. Besides Miles, six other Irish women are averaging more than 8 points per game. Transfers and seniors Kylie Watson and Lauren Ibo have been less efficient, combining for 19.5 points per contest. It should be noted that Ebo is performing at a high level from the bench; She has yet to begin. Her 27 offensive rebounds on the year ranked 10th in the nation among bench players, giving Notre Dame plenty of second-chance opportunities.
The Virginia Tech game will be a familiar state trip for Dara Mabry, who played her first two years of college basketball in Blacksburg. In her five-year college career, Mabray has hit 292 three-pointers, which ranks fifth among active Division I players overall.
Notre Dame is 14-2 all-time against Virginia Tech, including a 5-1 mark on the road. The Irish have won the last four meetings.
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