Notre Dame races past Stephen F. Austin in NCAA women’s tourney, but Miles leaves with injury
Notre Dame races past Stephen F. Austin in NCAA women’s tourney, but Miles leaves with injury
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Olivia Miles departed Notre Dame’s 106-54 victory over Stephen F. Austin in the NCAA Tournament because of a left leg injury, casting a shadow over the school’s dominant performance in the first round on Friday.
Miles fell to the court under the SFA basket with 8:44 left in the fourth quarter. The senior guard limped off the court and headed to the team’s locker room.
Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey said Miles injured her ankle and should be OK.
Miles, a first-team All-ACC selection, finished with two points and eight assists. She missed the 2023-2024 season because of a knee injury.
Hannah Hidalgo and Sonia Citron each scored 24 points for third-seeded Notre Dame (27-5). Liza Karlen had 13 points and 10 boards.
“I think we have a lot of firepower,” Hidalgo said. “Everybody plays well together.”
Next up for the Irish is No. 6 seed Michigan (23-10) on Sunday.
Hidalgo also had six rebounds and five assists. Citron grabbed seven rebounds.
Notre Dame forced 28 turnovers, including 18 steals, while committing only 11. The Fighting Irish piled up a 38-5 advantage in points off turnovers.
Ivey said defense was a focus after the Irish dropped three of five going into the NCAA tourney.
“I was very focused on going back to the basics, challenging them with a lot of the practices,” Ivey said. “We made the practices extremely challenging so we can get better. We were just staying on things long until I felt like we had moved forward in progression with whatever we were doing. But (defense) was my biggest focus. Individual pride and doing a great job with our team defense and communication.”
Trinity Moore led SFA with 14 points. Avery VanSickle scored 12 points, and Ashlyn Traylor-Walker finished with 10.
The Fighting Irish led 26-13 after one quarter and 46-25 at halftime.
“We turned the ball over a little too much, which allowed them to get out in transition and get flowing,” SFA coach Leonard Bishop said. “It’s an unfortunate way to end a really good year. I’m really proud of my team for battling through injuries and battling through adversity all year long.”
Demanding practices
Citron said Notre Dame’s practices prior to the NCAA Tournament were challenging as the Fighting Irish focused on defense.
“Those practices were definitely hard, but it was exactly what we needed and it was fun to get after it and just get better defensively,” Citron said.
Rivalry renewed
Ivey understands the history behind a Notre Dame-Michigan matchup, no matter the sport.
“It means everything,” Ivey said of the Fighting Irish playing the Wolverines. “They’re down the street. These are two storied programs.”
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By CURT RALLO
Associated Press
