ND Women’s BB Season 20-21

[BabyIrish]

2020-2021 Schedule

Record: 8-7
ACC Record- 6-5
ACC Rank- 5th

Nov. 27- at Ohio- 85-86- Loss
Nov. 29- vs. Miami (OH)- 88-68-Win
Dec. 3- vs. 24. Michigan- 66-76- Loss
Dec. 6- vs. IUPUI- 65-58- Win
Dec. 13- vs. Georgia Tech 67-82- Loss
Dec. 17- vs. Virginia Tech- 84-78- Win
Dec. 20- at Clemson- 55-78- Loss
Dec. 31- at Miami- 71-60- Win
Jan. 3- vs. Georgia Tech- 69-67- Win
Jan. 7- at Boston College- 61-64- Loss

Jan. 14- vs Pittsburgh- Postponed

Jan. 14- vs Wake Forest- 79-72- Win
Jan. 17- vs Boston College- 83-73- Win
Jan. 21- at Virginia Tech- 65-60-Win
Jan. 24- at North Carolina- 73-78- Loss
Jan. 31- at Syracuse- 69-81- Loss
Feb. 7- at 1. Louisville
Feb. 15- at 2. NC St
Feb. 18- vs. Syracuse
Feb. 22- at Pittsburgh
Feb. 25- vs Florida St
Feb. 28- vs. Louisville


Coach Ivey had her first press conference today. Highlights:
1. Looking at at 20 game conference schedule with 4 or 5 non-conference games. Probably means no exhibition games, but not sure. ACC play is supposed to begin December 10. Sounds like the full schedule will be released by the end of the week.
2. Mikayla Vaughn and Sam Brunelle are both coming back from injuries and not quite a 100% yet. Anaya Peoples shoulder is fully healed and she is ready to go. No mention of Abby Prohaska. Danielle Cosgrove is on a leave of absence for mental health reasons.
3. Practice started October 14.
4. Sounds like Dara Mabrey and Anaya Peoples have really stood out in practice so far. Madelyn Westbeld is the most impressive freshman.
5. Unsure if fans will be allowed yet in Purcell Pavilion.
6. Nicole Benz was awarded a scholarship for this year! Congratulations!

http://https://youtu.be/PPMu-9ZTK9E

 

[Old Man Mike]

Thanks for subbing in for BGIF on this.

 

[BabyIrish]

Thanks for subbing in for BGIF on this.

I doubt I’ll be able to ever do the game updates he did, but I can certainly manage the season in his honor.

 

[AllTimeIrish]

What happened to BGIF? What did I miss?

Thanks for the thread.

 

[Irish YJ]

What happened to BGIF? What did I miss?

Thanks for the thread.

He passed away sorry to say.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Just read a summary article on the team as it stands now. The negative is that all of our Bigs are hampered one way or the other. Brunelle seems (thankfully) pretty much ready to go, but Vaughn won't be until right at the start of the ACC conference season (there will apparently be a few non-con games of the home or short bus ride variety before the 20 game conference season.)

The big freshman 6'5"center (forgot her name --- Marshall?) has a situation similar to Vaughn, so won't be ready at the start either. Cosgrove is apparently taking the semester off at home to try to get her head together --- this is called a "mental" problem, but sounds like anxiety or even depression. She is planning to be back for second semester. The only other sort-of big available is frosh Maddy Westbeld who is Kat's sister. The coaching staff is really impressed by her skill AND maturity.

So to begin at least, we're small ball again. The pieces (Gilbert, Peoples, Walker, transfer Dara Mabrey, and Brunelle) are ALL double-figure scorers though with Mabrey contributing the BIG missing piece (three-point shooting.) If we can ever get a rebound we'll probably win games. I am surprised that my favorite player, Abby Prohaska, has been cleared to play --- if she's REALLY strong to go, then some of our scrappy style and success will return.

My prediction is that Anaya Peoples will be our on-floor warrior. Despite being recruited as a (big) point guard, I would not be surprised if she led in rebounds. A dream for me would be watching Peoples, a healthy Abby, an angry Kaitlin (Gilbert --- she dominates when she gets fired up), a Mabrey named Dara, and any motivated big, get out there together and just chew up some opponents defensively for several minutes, like a few of Muffet's (pre-Arike) squads could do. THAT would be "Ball" indeed.

 

[BabyIrish]

2020-2021 Schedule

Nov. 27- at Ohio
Nov. 29- vs. Miami (OH)
Dec. 3- vs. Michigan
Dec. 6- vs. IUPUI
Dec. 13- vs. Georgia Tech
Dec. 17- vs. Virginia Tech
Dec. 20- at Clemson
Dec. 31- at Miami
Jan. 3- vs. Georgia Tech
Jan. 7- at Boston College
Jan. 10- at Syracuse
Jan. 14- vs Pittsburgh
Jan. 17- vs Boston College
Jan. 21- at Virginia Tech
Jan. 24- at North Carolina
Jan. 28- vs. Wake Forest
Jan. 31- vs. Duke
Feb. 7- at Louisville
Feb. 11- vs Virginia
Feb. 15- at NC St
Feb. 18- vs. Syracuse
Feb. 22- at Pittsburgh
Feb. 25- vs Florida St
Feb. 28- vs. Louisville

 

[Old Man Mike]

We'll be missing five players for the opening game --- none (it sounds) due to COVID. Two players (Vaughn and a frosh) are still re-habbing ACLs. Another is a freshman. So that leaves two players "counted on" for this first game:Brunelle and Gilbert. Both of those are important.

Starters should be: Walker, Mabrey, Peoples, Westbeld, and Prohaska. Not much height but this is a MAC team. Big happy surprise for me is that Abby's playing. Hope she's full-go well. Look for Peoples to boss the game.

 

[Irish#1]

New chapter. Let's go ladies.

 

[BabyIrish]

We'll be missing five players for the opening game --- none (it sounds) due to COVID. Two players (Vaughn and a frosh) are still re-habbing ACLs. Another is a freshman. So that leaves two players "counted on" for this first game:Brunelle and Gilbert. Both of those are important.

Starters should be: Walker, Mabrey, Peoples, Westbeld, and Prohaska. Not much height but this is a MAC team. Big happy surprise for me is that Abby's playing. Hope she's full-go well. Look for Peoples to boss the game.

Can’t wait to see Prohaska back on the court!!

 

[SouthSideChiDomer]

Haven't been able to watch the game b/c its on ESPN+, but I just checked the stats. Not going well. Westbeld is already in foul trouble in the 2nd quarter. I guess we'll have to go with the ultimate small ball lineup.

 

[BabyIrish]

At the half:
Ohio-41
ND-30

Started off okay but really tailed off in the whole second half.

 

[BabyIrish]

ND 10-0 run to get the score 52-49

Ohio hits a 3. Now 55-49

Dara Mabrey with 18
Westbeld has 4 fouls. Which is bad considering we outscore Ohio when she’s on the floor and vice versa when she’s off the floor.

 

[BabyIrish]

Dara Mabrey with 5 quick points and a People’s and 1 puts the Irish up by 1.

Ohio with a layup to put them back up 60-59.

ND Free Throw ties the game at 60

 

[BabyIrish]

End of the 3 Quarter
ND- 65, Ohio-62

ND scores 35 in the 3rd quarter. Dara Mabrey explodes to up her point total to 26.

 

[BabyIrish]

Mabrey with 2 more 3 pointers!! 32 total points! Irish up 6

 

[dad4aa]

Mabrey lighting it up. 7-12 from deep

 

[BabyIrish]

ND up 77-70

Ohio 3 good. Refs call a bizarre foul on Mabrey to keep the ball for Ohio.
Westbeld proceeds to foul out. 1 out of 2 FT’s makes it 77-74

 

[BabyIrish]

Ohio with 8-0 run to take lead to 78-77

4 quick points by the Irish to go back up 81-78

Prohaska picks up a 4th foul.

 

[BabyIrish]

Ohio TO with the ball. 1:49 to go.
ND up 81-79

 

[BabyIrish]

Ohio ties the game.
Bizarre offensive foul on Peoples. She fouls out. Down to 6 players total.
TO at 1:29 to go.

 

[BabyIrish]

Foul on Walker. She now has 4. So does Prohaska. Getting shaky.

Ohio sinks both FT’s. 83-81 Ohio.

 

[BabyIrish]

Dara Mabrey deuce!! 83-83 with just under a minute to go. Another TO.

 

[BabyIrish]

Ohio layup. 85-83

 

[BabyIrish]

Mabrey miss. ND fouls with 18 seconds to play.

Ohio hits 1 out of 2 to keep it a one possession game.

86-83 Ohio.

 

[BabyIrish]

Mabrey miss. Foul on Ohio on the rebound. Walker with 2 FT’s. 3 seconds to go.

Ohio 86-85

 

[BabyIrish]

Ohio misses FT’s but ND misses half court shot. Loses 86-85

 

[Old Man Mike]

Somogyi thinks that Ohio U is pretty good. I think that is probably true. They have a big star and a secondary star to organize around. They're not overly big like most MAC teams, but without Vaughn and Brunelle we are small too.

Vaughn is out for a while yet. Brunelle and Gilbert are supposed to be out the next game too.

Mabrey didn't surprise me --- well 30+ points maybe, but not generally. I watched her play several times for VT and she's another Mabrey Natural. I thought that VT underutilized her skills with their multi-substitution policy (maybe it's a factor in her transferring.)

Abby, sadly, is still a lunchbox warrior bricklayer. Thank the Lord for Maddy Westbeld. (Let's root for half Madison Cable and half Kat Westbeld --- watching that athlete would be a treat, and maybe we'll get just that.)

 

[BabyIrish]

1st Quarter Score:
ND- 19
Miami (OH)- 11

Halftime Score:
ND-45
UM- 30

3rd Quarter Score:
ND- 62
UM-46

Destined Walker Leading scorer this far with 24
Dara Mabrey is currently at 0 points.

 

[BabyIrish]

Final Score:
ND-88
Miami OH-68

Walker finishes with 24
Westbeld hits 19. She’s already a force as a freshman. Can’t wait to see the team when Brunelle and Gilbert come back as well as Vaughn.