No. 1 Notre Dame Dominates Opener

Head coach Muffet McGraw’s No. 1-ranked Fighting Irish opened their 2016-17 campaign Friday night at the Purcell Pavilion with a 107-47 victory against Mid-American Conference favorite Central Michigan in the first round of the WNIT.

Sophomore guard Arike Ogunbowale tallied a career high 30 points while shooting a blistering 12 of 13 from the floor, including converting all five of her three-point attemtps. With 9:04 still left in the third quarter, she had already eclipsed her career high of 21 points set as a freshman last season.

“Arike was in a zone tonight — not on defense, but offensively she was definitely,” McGraw summarized.

Notre Dame jumped to a 15-0 advantage in the first 3:13 against the shell-shocked Chippewas and never looked back while substituting the 10 scholarship players liberally. Everyone played at least 11 minutes and no one more than 27. The 11th, freshman guard Jackie Young, did not dress for the game while recovering from a thumb injury sustained earlier in the week.

The Irish led 32-8 after the first quarter, were ahead 56-20 at the intermission while shooting 22 of 31 from the floor (71 percent), including 7 of 12 from three-point range, and expanded the lead to 81-28 after three quarters.

Notre Dame finished 40 of 65 overall for 61.5 percent, and assisted on 29 baskets. The Chippewas were only 17 of 63 from the floor for 27 percent.

Three other Irish players reached finished with double-digit scoring: sophomore guard Marina Mabrey (17), senior point guard Lindsay Allen (13) to go with a team high eight assists and four steals, five rebounds and zero turnovers, and junior forward Brianna Turner (12). McGraw was especially pleased with how Allen set the tone on the defensive end.

Three-Point Play

1. Mychal Johnson Gets The Start

The junior guard started in place of Mabrey, who had a game high 28 points in the exhibition game. However, McGraw did not like the pre-game focus of Mabrey, so she turned to Johnson to provide some energy on defense, and she responded with seven points, four assists and four assists in 27 minutes. Mabrey still ended up second in scoring with 17 points and second in assists with five.

“She responded well to coming off the bench,” said McGraw of Mabrey. “I was really pleased with how she handled it.”

Such is the benefit of Notre Dame’s superb depth. Coasting is verboten, otherwise someone else can be called upon.

2. Ogunbowale Draining The Threes

The sophomore was mainly a slasher last season with her powerful drives to the basket, so teams began giving her the outside jumper. In 35 games she attempted only 46 threes (making 16 for a good .391 percentage), so she made a concerted effort to improve that aspect of her game this summer. It showed while converting 5 of 5 beyond the arc. She has a repertoire on offense that is going to be difficult for anyone matched up against her to handle.

“Freshman year they sagged off a lot on me, so I knew they would probably start it this year,” Ogunbowale said. “They have to play me, I guess, fair. They have to guard me on the three and guard me driving. That’s what I really tried to work on.”

3. Quality Depth

Notre Dame’s No. 2 unit would be a bona fide top 25 contender, if not higher, but the consistent progression of 6-4 senior Kristina Nelson and sophomore point guard Ali Patberg especially will be crucial. Nelson played 20 minutes, finishing with eight points and nine rebounds, and her stamina is vastly improved. Patberg, coming off major knee surgery last year, did not attempt a shot in 14 minutes, but had three assists, three rebounds and no turnovers. The next two months will be valuable for helping her to return to a flow.

2017 Recruiting Summary

With eight McDonald’s All-Americans on its 2016‑17 roster, the No. 1-ranked Notre Dame women’s basketball team has reached a point where if a recruit isn’t ranked among the top 25 nationally, it’s a surprise.

So when the Irish signed 6-2 forward Danielle Patterson of Queens, N.Y., and 6-3 center Mikayla Vaughn of Fairfax, Va., in this year’s two-woman recruiting class, it didn’t resonate on the national radar like in the past because Patterson was ranked No. 30 and Vaughn No. 90 by ESPN HoopGurlz.

The Irish also wanted to sign a guard/wing, and the nation’s No. 1 and No. 2 players, Megan Walker and Evina Westbrook, were considering Notre Dame. However, Walker signed with UConn, and Westbrook inked with Tennessee.

Nevertheless, after signing five elite prospects along the wing and in the backcourt the past two years, and none in the post, McGraw was relieved and more than pleased to land the duo she did.

Patterson is classified as a “stretch four,” whom McGraw compared to former Irish star Ericka Haney, a starter for the 2001 national champs. Vaughn is a post figure and a shot blocker more in the mold of 2012 Big East Defensive Player of the Year Devereaux Peters.

“Danielle has great versatility to play on the perimeter and also score on the block,” McGraw said. “She can defend on the perimeter, score off the dribble and will fit in very well with our transition offense.

“Mikayla has a tremendous upside. She can run the floor, score around the basket and face up. She can rebound, block shots and will help us defensively by being a presence inside.”

Landing both was vital because when they arrive as freshmen, top frontcourt players Brianna Turner, Kathryn Westbeld and Kristina Nelson all will be in their final seasons of eligibility.

“They can come in without the pressure of, ‘I have to carry this team,’” McGraw said.

For the next recruiting cycle, McGraw is aiming to sign as many as five players, with Indianapolis’ 5-10 point guard Katlyn Gilbert (ranked No. 24 by HoopGurlz) already verbally committed.