Notre Dame hopes to salvage a semblance of success in the Cayman Islands Classic in a Saturday matinee against Utah. Here’s everything you need to know about the Fighting Irish going against the Utes in the former’s second game in as many days at the holiday hoops event in the Caribbean.
Notre Dame women’s basketball vs. Utah game info
- Teams: No. 3 Notre Dame (5-1) and Utah (5-2)
- Head coaches: Niele Ivey (94-33, fifth year at Notre Dame); Gavin Peterson (5-2, first season at Utah)
- Date: Nov. 30, 2024
- Location: John Gray Gymnasium (George Town, Cayman Islands)
- Time: 5 p.m. ET
- Television: FloHoops.com
- TV broadcasters: Matt Martucci and Anne O’Neil
- Radio: 96.1 FM WSBT in South Bend
- Radio broadcaster: Sean Stires
What to know about Notre Dame
• The Fighting Irish came crashing down to earth Friday in a 76-68 loss to TCU. The Irish led by as many as 14 points and had an 11-point lead going into the fourth quarter, but the Horned Frogs unloaded on them and there was nothing they could do to answer.
• Sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo is averaging 25.2 points per game. She had 27 in Notre Dame’s loss to TCU. Senior guards Olivia Miles (18.2) and Sonia Citron (10.8) and graduate senior forward Liatu King are all also in double figures in scoring for the year.
What to know about Utah
• Utah has four starters back from a team that lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season as a No. 5 seed.
• Senior guard Gianna Kneepkens leads the Utes with 17.3 points per game, on par with the 17.8 she averaged as a junior last season.
• Utah has five players including Kneepkens averaging double digits in points per game.
• The Utes give up a lot in the front court vs. Notre Dame. The team leader in rebounding only averaged 6.9 boards per game, and the entire team has combined for 20 blocks in seven games. Fighting Irish freshman Kate Koval, meanwhile, has 26 blocks on her own in six games. Koval and graduate senior forward Liatu King both average over 10 rebounds per game.
• As an aside, size was Notre Dame’s downfall against TCU. Horned Frogs forward Sedona Prince had 20 points and 20 rebounds. Koval and King combined for 8 and 19, respectively, between the two of them. They need to rebound by feasting on an inferior Utah front court.
• Utah’s two losses are to Northwestern on the road, 71-69, and to Mississippi State on Thursday in the Cayman Islands Classic. The Bulldogs won that game 66-62. Utah’s five wins are over Southern Utah, Weber State, McNeese, Saint Joseph’s and Montana State.
