SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Purcell Pavilion had the vibe of one huge family reunion Sunday afternoon.
A sellout crowd of 9,149 was there to pay hearty tribute to the original architect of the party — Hall of Famer and former Notre Dame head women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw, whose statue was unveiled prior to the game against Purdue.
A large contingent of McGraw’s former players took the floor at different times, including for the T-shirt toss, to add to the festive feel.
And her protege and former player, Niele Ivey, who had to go to work, was ultimately relieved to see her No. 14-ranked, 8-1 team do the program proud in front of her former boss, mentor and friend with an exceptional performance and dominating 76-39 victory over Purdue.
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“I wanted that, almost like a gift (to McGraw),” Ivey said, “so it wasn't stressful today. Today is a day to honor one of the greatest coaches of all time, a legendary coach here at Notre Dame, somebody that I adore and is my mentor.
“So to be able to come out and give her a dominant performance was what I really was praying for. … I was just really proud of the group, that we showed up to play and play for her.”
Purdue (6-5) was swept up in the flood of Irish energy and was suffocated the entire game by ND’s best defensive performance of the season.
The Boilermakers, who came in with a 14-13 series edge over the Irish, have had a few moments and near-moments this season, handing Texas A&M its only loss of the season and losing three games to Power 5 schools by a total of 13 points.
But it was different Sunday, despite the Irish roster again being down to just eight healthy players.
The Boilers came in shooting 42.7% from the field and went just 14-for-57 (25%), 4-for-15 (27%) on threes.
It was the first time since Nov. 24, 2018, against Connecticut that Purdue has been held to fewer than 40 points.
There were 21 Boilermaker turnovers, five over their average, with Irish star freshman guard Hannah Hidalgo accounting for seven of ND’s 11 steals.
And there were eight blocks, a career-high six from 6-foot-5 senior Nat Marshall, who also had 14 points and seven rebounds, and continues to elevate her game with the additional minutes necessitated by the team’s injury issues. It was her fifth consecutive game scoring in double figures.
The Irish got especially serious on the boards in the second half and wound up with a 45-29 edge, following an even count of 19 through the first 20 minutes.
There was a 44-14 advantage of points in the paint and 26-5 edge on fast break points.
All that good stuff reminded everyone of the old dominant times under McGraw that produced 848 wins, nine Final Fours, seven national championship games and two national titles.
And McGraw reminded everyone, during a brief halftime speech, of what it was like in the beginning, back in 1987.
“It was fairly early on when you would come to the games and you could sit anywhere you wanted,” she told her fans. “And I know some of you were there at that time. But I knew that we would be able to build something here.
“And I remember our first sellout, January 15, 2001. Connecticut came in number one, and they left number two. We went on to win the national championship against, ironically, Purdue.
“It's been an amazing journey. And I thank you because we wouldn't have been the program we were without you. Thank you for making this such a tough place to play, for making it a place where opponents did not want to come. You've been there every step of the way.
“I knew every game when I would come walking out of that tunnel, I would feel your support and knew that you were behind us, that you believed in us, and I'm wanting to win for you.
“So thank you for giving me the gift of knowing that every time I walk into this arena, I know I'm home.”
The crowd, dutifully, erupted.
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And minutes later Ivey’s Irish took their game to another level.
Leading 35-18 at the break, the Irish defense went into cutthroat mode. They won the quarter 26-7 for a 61-25 advantage.
“To hold a team like Purdue to 39 points,” said Ivey, acknowledging it as the best defensive showing of the year. “They were so locked in on the scouting report and just did everything we needed to do to take away their tendencies. They were so locked in on everything that we'd been practicing all week.
“And then we're coming off of an 11-day break with finals, and for them to come out and not lose a beat from the beginning of the game — it just shows their leadership and how prepared and ready they were to play.”
The 5-6 Hidalgo, as has been since game one, was the catalyst. She left the game with 3:32 to play or would have added even more to some gaudy numbers in her 35 minutes.
She flirted with a quadruple double with 23 points (her average), 10 rebounds and eight assists, to go with those seven steals, while committing just three turnovers.
She is the first player in women’s college basketball since January of 2022 to have at least 20 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and seven steals.
Senior forward Maddy Westbeld helped the Irish get to 51% shooting for the afternoon, going 7-for-12 for 15 points. She added 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the year after entering the season with nine in her career.
The high level of play figures to bode well for what’s ahead in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but the uncertainty will remain until the club’s health improves.
Twenty-point scorer Sonia Citron (knee), per Ivey, is still weeks away and there was no new information provided on a timetable for a return of Olivia Miles (knee), Cass Prosper (lower leg) and Emma Risch (hip).
The worries, though, can wait for now.
“I just couldn't be more proud of this group,” Ivey said. “I’m excited that we have a couple of days to rest (before Thursday’s game vs. 4-4 Western Michigan) and one more game before Christmas break. But just really excited about the future of this program and also what we're doing right now.”
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