SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The offensive firepower that everyone anticipated has come to life for Notre Dame. For the first time since 2012, the Irish have posted back-to-back games with at least 100 points.
On Wednesday night, No. 16 Notre Dame (2-1) suffocated regional foe Northwestern (2-1), 110-52. After all five starters finished the game at NJIT with double-figure points, Sonia Citron (23), Anna DeWolfe (10), Hannah Hidalgo (21), Kylee Watson (10) and Maddy Westbeld (13) did it again. Citron also had 5 rebounds and 3 assists before leaving with a lower body injury during the third quarter. Hidalgo, the reigning ACC Rookie of the Week, had 21 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds and 6 steals.
The Irish came out a little flat, as Northwestern jumped out to an early 8-0 lead. After Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach Niele Ivey called a timeout, Notre Dame went on a 15-0 run. The Irish added a 13-0 run and entered halftime with a 30-point lead. The offensive onslaught never let up, as the Irish went 12-19 from the floor in the fourth quarter (63.2 percent).
“Credit to Northwestern, they came out very aggressive,” Ivey said after the game. “We didn’t start very well, but we settled ourselves and then started playing Irish basketball. That’s just getting stops defensively and getting out and running in transition.”
Notre Dame drubbed the Wildcats on the boards, winning the rebounding battle, 49-29. Westbeld had 10 of those boards to post her second-straight double-double. She entered the NJIT game with just nine of them in her three-year career.
The bench played a huge role in sealing the deal as well, especially once Citron exited. Notre Dame had 33 bench points. KK Bransford made her season debut after dealing with a lower body injury to start the year. The sophomore who ended last year winning the final ACC Rookie of the Week honor finished with 7 points in just under 11 minutes of play. Walk-on turned scholarship guard Sarah Cernugel made her first career bucket from deep, too.
Up next, Notre Dame heads back on the road. This time, the Irish will face Illinois (2-1) on Saturday in the Citi Shamrock Classic in Washington, D.C.