Notre Dame women's basketball: Irish keep learning, winning
BARCELONA, Spain - Natalie Achonwa scored a team-high 13 points as the Notre Dame women’s basketball team beat the French All-Stars, 75-57, Thursday night.
The Irish are on a European tour, and won for the second time in three days.
Kayla McBride added 12 points and freshman forward Taya Reimer finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. Michaela Mabrey added 10 points and four steals.
Notre Dame outrebounded the French, 56-31, including 26 offensive rebounds. The Irish also forced 28 French turnovers, with 21 of those the result of ND steals.
Maud Medenou scored a game-high 14 points for the French while Kadidia Minte added 11 points. The French team is composed of professional players from France’s top division, who also compete for their country’s Under-18 and U-20 national teams.
“We’re getting exactly what we hoped for and expected out of this tour,” ND coach Muffet McGraw said. “We’re learning a lot about ourselves, what we need to work on and teach as coaches and how different combinations look on the floor.
After one more day in Barcelona, the ND contingent will travel to Madrid on Saturday. The Irish will play the final game of the tour Sunday against the French All-Stars.
- NOTRE DAME 75, FRENCH ALL-STARS 57
At Lloret de Mar, Spain
NOTRE DAME (75): Natalie Achonwa 5 3-4 13, Ariel Braker 2 1-1 5, Kayla McBride 5 2-3 12, Madison Cable 1 0-0 2, Michaela Mabrey 3 2-2 10, Whitney Holloway 0 1-4 1, Kristina Nelson 0 0-0 0, Taya Reimer 4 4-4 12, Lindsay Allen 4 0-0 9, Hannah Huffman 1 0-0 2, Markisha Wright 3 3-4 9, Diamond Thompson 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 28 16-22 75.
FRENCH ALL-STARS (57): Maud Medenou 5 4-7 14, Leslie Fournier 2 0-0 4, Kadidia Minte 5 1-4 11, Lydya Karlefors 4 1-2 9, Alexia Plagnard 2 2-2 6, Alex Tchangoue 1 4-6 6, Nyalissa Gomis 0 0-0 0, Victori Jajekodunmi 1 1-2 3, Elodie Decker 0 0-0 0, Melissa Mendes 0 1-4 1, Crystel Ongenda Mbo 1 1-1 3. TOTALS: 21 15-29 57.
Notre Dame 20 31 59 75
French 16 29 44 57
3-point goals: Notre Dame 3-12 (Achonwa 0-1, McBride 0-2, Mabrey 2-5, Holloway 0-1, Allen 1-3), French 15-29 (Medenou 4-7, Minte 1-4, Karlefors 1-2, Plagnard 2-2, Tchangoue 4-6, Majekodunmi 1-2, Mendes 1-4, Ongenda Mbo 1-2). Total fouls (fouled out): Notre Dame 26 (none), French 22 (Decker).
