SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey challenged her upperclassmen to step up in the second half. Mission accomplished.
On Wednesday, No. 5 Notre Dame (10-1, 1-0) hosted Western Michigan (5-6) to close out the 2022 year at Purcell Pavilion. The Irish walked away with an 85-57 victory in their final non-conference game of the year.
It was a streaky game for Notre Dame, who held just a 38-30 lead going into the break. The Irish went on a 17-0 run to start the third quarter before failing to score for more than three minutes and committing four turnovers. Foul trouble in the third allowed Western Michigan to put a dent in Notre Dame’s then-25-point lead before the Irish pulled away once more. They shot 60.0 percent in the first quarter and 64.3 percent in the fourth quarter. The Broncos scored just 10 points in the third.
“Our effort coming out today was a little sluggish, but I felt like they picked it up in the second half,” Ivey said. “I was really happy about the 17-0 run.”
Maddy Westbeld led the charge for Notre Dame, posting a season-high 23 points and eight rebounds. The 6-3 forward had 19 points in the second half. She narrowly missed her career high of 25, which was set during her freshman season. Guard Olivia Miles had 12 assists on the afternoon, her third consecutive game with 12 or more. She now leads the ACC in that category (7.6 per game).
Hannah Spitzley and Abby Voss were the stars of the show in the first half for Western Michigan, going 4-4 from behind the arc. Overall, the team had success from three-point range, finishing with a 34.8 percent success rate on the day. The Broncos posted a 21-57 (36.8 percent) mark from the floor.
“It’s been an incredible non-conference season,” Ivey said. “We’re in a great position. I’m super proud of that. This group is pretty special.”
Notre Dame has more than a week off now and will face Miami (7-5, 0-1) in South Florida on Dec. 29. The game will tip off at 6:00 p.m. on the ACC Network.