It wasn’t the fact that No. 18 Notre Dame lost its ACC/SEC Women’s Basketball Challenge game to No. 13 Ole Miss that was concerning, nor was it the seven-point margin of victory for the Rebels that should lead to some self-evaluation from the Irish.
It was how their 19-point lead slipped away. With a quick look at the box score to see the Irish outscore Ole Miss 40-28 in the paint, you’d be led to believe the Irish don’t have a problem with their post-game. Then a glance at the Rebels’ 42-27 rebounding advantage would immediately tell you otherwise.
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It would tell you the truth.
Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey said it herself before the Irish hopped on a plane to Oxford, Mississippi – rebounding was always going to be a key to victory in this game. The Rebels outrebounded the Irish by 15, including a plus-11 in offensive rebounds.
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It certainly didn’t help that Notre Dame’s best pure post player, grad transfer Malaya Cowles, fouled out with 4:51 left in the fourth quarter. At that point, the Irish only trailed by a point, and Cowles had 12 points and five rebounds.
Once Cowles left the game for good, the Rebels outscored the Irish 12-6 to grab a 69-62 victory on Thursday, Dec. 4. All three field goals Ole Miss made during that stretch were in the paint.
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So why did the Irish’s 12-point gap in points in the paint not make a difference against Ole Miss, aside from the latter’s 15-10 second-chance points advantage? The Rebels outscored Notre Dame 18-6 from 3-point range.
The Irish attempted just seven 3-pointers, whereas the Rebels shot 25. Sure, Ole Miss’ 24% 3-point shooting percentage was not effective and is not sustainable long term, but it’ll get the job done on a 6-for-25 clip compared to a 2-for-7 performance from Notre Dame.
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This is not an Irish offense built on 3-point prowess, shooting 35-for-124 (28.2%) from beyond the arc heading into this game. But just seven 3-point attempts in this day and age can’t happen, no matter if the opposing defense is actively trying to take those shots away.
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What makes this loss especially frustrating for the Irish, aside from the fact that it was nationally televised on ESPN2 and was one of four ranked non-conference games on their schedule, is that Notre Dame was leading 35-16 with five minutes left in the first half.
Hannah Hidalgo, one of the sports’ best and already one of the most talented players to ever suit up for Notre Dame, had 18 points and four steals in the first half. The junior was shooting 6-for-11 from the field and seemed well on her way to another huge performance on a big stage.
Hidalgo finished the game with what looked like an impressive 28 points and six steals, but her second half left a lot to be desired. She shot 4-for-12 and turned the ball over four times as the Irish were outscored 40-25 in the final 20 minutes after leading 37-29 at halftime.
And still, Hidalgo was Notre Dame’s best player in the second half. The Irish hit just 10 shots from the field.
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As for Ole Miss, the Rebels came out of halftime making an adjustment on offense after being shut down by Notre Dame’s zone defense in the first half. They outscored the Irish 22-18 in the paint, while outrebounding the Irish 26-11 as a whole and 13-4 offensively.
Ole Miss is undoubtedly a talented team, with standouts like senior transfer Coatie McMahon dropping 22 points and senior Christeen Iwuala putting up an 18-point, 13-rebound double-double. With their first ranked win of the season, the Rebels move to 7-0.
But this is an Irish squad that holds itself to perennially high standards and expects to beat the best. They’ve got a two-point ranked win against No. 16 USC, but slipped to 5-2 Thursday, with both losses coming against top-13 teams on national television.
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They’ll need to quickly adjust before opening ACC play 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, at Florida State (4-6).
Kyle Smedley is a sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email at ksmedley@usatodayco.com or follow him on X @KyleSmedley03.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame women’s basketball weak post game costs Irish against Ole Miss
