Notes From the Joyce Center

Notes From the Joyce Center
by MPG (2024-03-26 14:54:58)
Edited on 2024-03-26 14:57:41

1. Monday afternoon's game was a festive time and continued a return to the joyous and energized fan base that inhabited the Joyce Center from 2009-2019. One new addition was the enthusiastic and filled student section for the second straight game! Could this be a turning point in student support for this team?

2. ND has won ten straight since the awful loss at home to NC State and the last seven of those have been against NCAA tourney qualifiers.

3. During the first half and part of the third quarter, I thought that the ND half-court offense was the best I've seen this season. It came against an energetic and athletic defense. My proof for this would be the 59% shooting for the first half and the nice distribution of assists among Citron, Marshall, and Hidalgo. Hannah Hidalgo provides constant energy for the team and is still maturing in how she runs the offense.

4. Natalija Marshall deserves the unsung hero award for playing a career high 35 minutes with five assists and zero turnovers. Four points and three rebounds won't garner any headlines, but she played her helping the team to win role to the hilt without fouling out.

5. Anna DeWolfe had a quietly good game. Her first quarter three, assisted by Marshall, gave the Irish and the crowd the sense that it was going to be our day. In the fourth quarter when MISS had cut a 19 point lead to 13, she hit an open mid-range jumper and followed it by ending a mid-court defensive scramble by tipping the ball the Hidalgo for a layup that extinguished the hopes of the Rebels.

6. Sonia Citron was my MVP for the first two rounds. She was the leading scorer on Saturday and the leader in rebounds and assists on Monday while still scoring 17.

7. If Monday was Maddy Westbeld's last game at the Joyce Center, she certainly left on a high note. I hope that she returns for a fifth season to make strong run at the NCAA title. She was waving and blowing kisses to the crowd at mid-court and while going into the tunnel after the game. My wife said that she did the same thing at mid-court after the KSU game, so we shouldn't read too much into it as a possible farewell gesture.

8. Marcus Freeman and Micah Shrewsberry were there with wife and a daughter respectively. Julie Henderson was seated right behind the Irish bench, though I did not see her giving the coaches any advice during the game. Marist Liafau was on hand, looking impressive in his Citron jersey. Eric Hansen reported that Muffet McGraw was there as well.

9. From what I have seen of OSU, they will be tough to defend with their inside game and dangerous three point shooters. However, I don't know how they will stop ND's offense, if the Irish play as well as the did on Monday afternoon.

DeWolfe's tip-forward pass to Hidalgo

The TV replay from the hand held camera on the baseline under the ND basket was priceless.

Ad soon as Anna tipped the ball forward, she started screaming for joy. Hannah was several dribbles away from the layup, but Anna was celebrating the entire time.

Great post. On #9 Beers will get a few shots inside but

I think the right scheme and the speed of our D will control them. Offensive rebounds vs fouls on offensive rebounds will need to be managed. ND handled Baldwin & she's taller than Beers by 1".

I'm always a nervous wreck but I'm an optimistic wreck this time. Maybe they get 64 points but ND will have 84 or so.

Attached a link from Nebraska game. I've watched it a few times but I but ND's coaches have watched it a lot more.

Click here for link at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cJF2gpdXrE8&pp=ygUnTmVicmFza3M

Tried to watch some of that

Holy smokes those are two really slow teams. Really slow.

Quickness and speed over size. *

On pt 1, it seems its now cool for students to go to CWBB

games throughout the country and you see it with the support. Gonzaga and even the University of Spoiled Children had riudy student sections full and were crazy last night. It also mattered when teams had spring break were because Washington's was last week so students were there while Oregon's was this week (many gone) and California's is next week.

Refreshing to see as a former nightly lone student attendee *

Great report. *

I enjoy your posts immensely. Hope you are back next

year.

I hope I can make it to a game someday. An away game at BC may be the best bet

You owe it to yourself to see this team live.

They play with an intensity that's hard to fully appreciate on TV. It all begins with Hannah, but it doesn't end there. They're really fun to watch.

Doubt and inconsistency has turned into true belief and

performance. They made a very good U. Miss. team look ordinary and it was how they did it. (Several high light reels.)

Great Report on Final Home Game of Season

- Per #4, I thought perhaps Nat's greatest contribution was her work at the center of that zone; keeping her hands up and moving quickly and decisively to help keep Ole Miss attempted forays into the middle.

- On #8, the ESPN crew noted Natalie Achonwa was there (along with son, Maverick!) and apparently Brianna Turner was there, as well, at least for the Kent State game.

- And there were people. Lots of people...I have a post just below that says more than 8,000 more people packed the stands and this was par for the course for all campus sites.

- Way to go students for coming out, as well. (Always hated those Monday early afternoon classes!)

Your last sentence 👍 *

Yes it will be be interesting how Rueck plans his D against

ND. He has an excellent history in the NCAA. The only time he has been upset in the NCAAs was in 2014 by Gonzaga on their home court. Since then he has beaten a #1 seed Baylor in Dallas and as a 6th seed beat a #3 seed Tennessee in Knoxville then a #2 Seed Baylor in Lexington, so he certainly isn't afraid to coach against CWBB teams that have won NCs on a hostile floor. 5 of his last 6 NCAA tourney losses away from home have been to # 1 Seeds: Louisville twice in Kentucky, South Carolina twice in Columbia, and UConn in the Final 4. The one "pick-em" game with a 2 vs a 3 on a neutral court he did lose to FSU in 2017. Thus ND can keep that ACC domination over Scott and OSU as he is 0-3 against the ACC in the tourney.