Notre Dame women overpower Virginia in road conference win
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Brianna Turner said she was looking forward to playing Virginia because the Cavaliers are "a great team."
Virginia also is a team that, in two meetings, has allowed No. 3 Notre Dame's 6-foot-3 sophomore to show how good she can be.
Turner had 19 points and nine rebounds and the Irish pulled away from Virginia early in a 74-46 women's college basketball victory Thursday night.
"I think our guards just did a really great job of getting the ball high to me because I can get pretty high when they lob it in to me," Turner said after making 7 of 9 shots, almost exclusively from inside. She also had two blocks and watched most of the fourth quarter.
A year ago, Turner had 26 points and 13 rebounds in a 75-54 victory for the Irish against the Cavaliers.
Marina Mabrey added 15 points and fellow freshman Arike Ogunbowale had 13 to help the Notre Dame (14-1, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) win its seventh in a row, and in dominating fashion against the smaller Cavaliers. Notre Dame enjoyed a 38-4 advantage on points in the paint, and 18-2 edge on second-chance points and outrebounded Virginia, 45-28, with 14 offensive rebounds.
"They throw those lob passes to her and if she gets a clean look at it, we can't jump up there with her," Breyana Mason said.
Mikayla Venson scored 17 points to lead Virginia (11-5, 1-1) and was the only one of the Cavaliers' scorers to have a decent night. No. 2 scorer Faith Randolph (13.9 ppg) scored just four on 2 for 11 shooting, No. 3 Lauren Moses (11.2) had just six on 2 of 12 from the field.
The Cavaliers shot just 30 percent (16 of 54) overall.
The Irish took control with a 20-8 run that started with the last basket of the first quarter and extended to halftime. Mabrey hit two 3-pointers in the burst and her sister Michaela added another as Notre Dame took a 35-23 lead into the intermission.
The Cavaliers were 2 for 14 from the field in the second quarter, looking nothing like the team that only four days earlier shot 67 percent from 3-point range, played stiff defense and beat then-No. 22 Miami 76-56.
"I don't know who that was out there," Virginia coach Joanne Boyle said. "It's one of the strange games I've been a part of."
Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw was concerned about the Cavaliers' 3-point shooting, but they made just 5 of 15 attempts.
"I was just a little nervous starting out in that zone," McGraw said. "We had a couple of backup plans, but fortunately they didn't connect early on too many."
Already leading 35-23 at halftime, Notre Dame opened the third quarter with a 10-5 run, pushing its lead to 45-28, and Virginia never threatened again. The Irish led by as many as 30 and played underclassmen for almost the entire fourth quarter.
NOTRE DAME (14-1):Turner 7-9 5-7 19, Westbeld 4-10 0-0 8, Allen 3-7 0-0 6, Cable 1-5 0-0 3, Mi. Mabrey 2-5 0-0 6, Ogunbowale 5-11 2-2 13, Ma. Mabrey 6-11 0-0 15, Johnson 0-1 1-2 1, Nelson 0-0 1-4 1, Huffman 1-1 0-0 2, Thompson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-60 9-15 74.VIRGINIA (11-5):Moses 2-12 2-2 6, Umeri 1-1 0-0 2, Venson 6-13 1-2 17, Mason 4-10 1-2 10, Randolph 2-11 0-0 4, Brown 0-1 4-4 4, Huland El 0-4 0-0 0, Jones 1-2 1-2 3. Totals 16-54 9-12 46.Notre Dame17182415—74Virginia1581211—463-Point Goals--Notre Dame 7-16 (Ma. Mabrey 3-5, Mi. Mabrey 2-5, Ogunbowale 1-1, Cable 1-3, Westbeld 0-1, Johnson 0-1), Virginia 5-15 (Venson 4-8, Mason 1-1, Brown 0-1, Huland El 0-2, Randolph 0-3). Fouled Out--Jones. Rebounds--Notre Dame 45 (Turner 9), Virginia 28 (Venson 5). Assists--Notre Dame 16 (Allen 5), Virginia 7 (Mason 3). Total Fouls--Notre Dame 13, Virginia 17. A--3,394.
