No. 5 Notre Dame Crushes No. 8 Florida State, 100-69
So much for the transitive property in mathematics applying to the world of athletics.
Notre Dame lost 100-67 at Louisville on Jan. 11, and then Louisville lost 50-49 to Florida State last Sunday (Jan. 21). Therefore, using the transitive property, No. 8 Florida State should have defeated the Irish by 34 points this Sunday afternoon in Tallahassee ... right?
It was the polar opposite with the No. 5-ranked Fighting Irish crushing No. 8 Florida State 100-69 — almost the exact score it lost by to Louisville — in front of a school record women’s basketball audience of 9,498. Notre Dame improved to 20-2 and 7-1 in the ACC, while FSU fell to 18-3 and 6-2, respectively.
Senior forward Kathryn Westbeld recorded a career high 21 points (8-of-11 from the floor) and a season- and game-high 12 rebounds to lead six Notre Dame players who finished with double-figure scoring. Westbeld came into the game having converted only five three-pointers but put the Irish in the lead for good at 5-3 with a trey. She later converted another three, and in-between had a coast-to-coast drive for a bucket.
Notre Dame converted eight of its first 10 field-goal attempts and ended the first quarter on a 16-6 run (14-of-22 overall) to build a 29-14 advantage through the first 10-minute period.
Meanwhile, a Florida State team that came into the contest leading the ACC in scoring (86.0 points per game) was 5-of-21 in the first quarter and missed its first seven field-goal attempts in the second quarter while Notre Dame expanded its cushion to 39-16 — notably 30-2 in the paint. The Seminoles had an 8:18 stretch during that span without scoring a field goal.
A 7-0 Seminole run to cut it to 39-23 was their lone threat thereafter, and junior guard Arike Ogunbowale ended that mini-run with a three-pointer, followed by baskets by Westbeld and sophomore Jackie Young to double the score again at 46-23.
The Irish held a 48-29 lead at the intermission while converting 23-of-40 (57.5 percent) from the floor and holding FSU leading scorer Shakayla Thomas(18.5 points per game) to 0-of-11 shooting (she would finish 3-of-18). Notre Dame also was dominant with a 36-8 scoring advantage in the paint.
The onslaught continued in the second half while expanding the lead to 34 points in the third quarter. The 100 points were the most Notre Dame ever scored against a top-10-ranked opponent, and the Irish scored nearly as many points in the paint (66, to FSU’s 24) as the Seminoles did overall. The overall execution was the best of the year over four full quarters, especially considering the competition and venue.
“The difference in the game was we scored in the paint,” said Irish head coach Muffet McGraw, who has lost only three ACC games in five seasons. “We got great shots, we shot the ball well, we went inside, and overall, it was just a great game from start to finish.”
The Irish next host North Carolina on Thursday (Feb. 1) at 7 p.m. ET on ACCN Extra.
Three-Point Play
1. Rank & File
Notre Dame is 7-0 against FSU since joining the ACC in 2013, which is noteworthy because the Seminoles have been a consistent top 10-15-caliber program since then. This was Notre Dame’s third top-10 win this season — also versus SEC foes South Carolina and Tennessee — and the sixth versus the top 25, tying No. 1 UConn for the most this season. It was the 11th conquest away from home as well.
2. Multiple Handles
Understandably, much is made about Notre Dame not having a true point guard because of season-ending ACL injuries to Lili Thompson and Mychal Johnson. What is somewhat overlooked is that everyone in the starting lineup is effective at handling the ball and they are strong passers with good court vision. Junior Marina Mabrey is the main point figure and she improves there with each game, but Young and Ogunbowale are highly skilled with the ball — especially in the fast break — and Westbeld and junior Jessica Shepard are exceptional high-post and interior passers. Notre Dame had 22 assists — led by Young’s eight — and only 12 turnovers in a tough road atmosphere.
3. The Full Nelson
Fifth-year senior Kristina “Koko” Nelson can be the proverbial bull in the China shop on occasion with foul trouble and her physicality, but she has been superb off the bench the past couple of weeks. McGraw referred to her as the unsung hero in the 23-point comeback win versus Tennessee, and this Thursday against Pitt she contributed eight points, seven rebounds and six assists in her reserve role.
Against FSU she fouled out in just 14 minutes — but also tallied 11 points (5-of-5 from the field), grabbed five rebounds, handed out three assists and blocked two shots while helping keep the Seminoles at bay.
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