SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Maya Dodson had 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds — her fourth double-double of the season — as No. 20 Notre Dame held on to beat No. 3 North Carolina State 69-66 Tuesday night.
Freshman Olivia Miles had 13 points and reserve Sam Brunelle had 10 points off the bench to give second-year Irish coach Niele Ivey her biggest victory since taking over for Hall of Fame coach Muffet McGraw, who was in attendance.
The fourth straight victory by Notre Dame (17-4, 8-2 ACC) ended the nine-game winning streak by Wes Moore’s Wolfpack (19-3, 10-1), who lost their first game in the league.
Diamond Johnson came off the bench to lead NC State with 16 points, 14 in the second half, while senior All-American Elissa Cunane finished with just 13 points and seven rebounds while playing with four fouls in the fourth quarter. Jakia Brown-Turner added 11 for NC State.
The Irish took a 32-28 to the locker room at halftime thanks to 10 points by Dodson and eight by Brunelle. Notre Dame shot 33 percent (13 of 39) but out-rebounded the Wolfpack 28-18, eight by Dodson. Dodson also did most of the defensive work on Cunane, who finished with just five points, all in the final 5:14 of the half.
Cunane drew her third personal with 8:20 left in the third quarter during Notre Dame’s 8-2 start in the second half and Moore later called a timeout with 6:12 remaining.
Notre Dame took a 42-30 lead on Miles layup with just under a minute later, and Dodson’s third basket of the quarter, off a feed from Miles, made it 44-33 with 4:57 left in the quarter. The Irish led 52-43 heading into the final quarter.
The Irish matched their biggest lead at 12 points, 57-45, on Dara Mabrey’s 3-pointer with 7:34 remaining in the fourth quarter. But NC State closed to 65-63 with 1:42 remaining on the first of two free throws by Johnson. The Irish made their final four points from the free-throw line to clinch the victory.
BIG PICTURE
NC State: The Wolfpack saw themselves in a battle for the second straight game away from home. After rallying last Sunday to beat North Carolina 66-58, NC State found itself down 32-28 at halftime as an inspired Notre Dame had a 10-rebound edge on the boards (28-18) and held Cunane to just five points and four rebounds in 14 minutes.
Notre Dame: The Irish, down to eight scholarship players, found themselves in a physical battle, particularly late in the second quarter. Brunelle went down in a heap after being hit unintentionally by Cunane’s right elbow, and after laying on the floor limped to the locker room. Then with 15.7 seconds to go, Irish reserve Abby Prohaska was hit in the face by Jada Boyd’s elbow while going for a rebound. Finally, as Boyd took the final shot of the half, she got freshman Sonia Citron under the chin. The officials looked at both replays and ruled the contact incidental. Brunelle and Citron returned for the second half.
UP NEXT
NC State: Thursday at home against Florida State.
Notre Dame: Thursday at home against Virginia.
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