Miami basketball women take center-stage vs Notre Dame

One night after the Miami and Notre Dame men’s basketball teams met at the Watsco Center, the women will play on the same court on Thursday evening. That’s about all the four teams have in common. Miami basketball has been much better for the women in 2018-19.

With Miami basketball struggling on the Men’s side in last place in the ACC, the Miami Women’s basketball team is on the other side of the ACC Standings. Katie Meier’s team is 19-5, 7-2 in the ACC and a game out of first in a tie with Florida State

Notre Dame travels to Coral Gables, 21-2 overall and 8-1 in a three-way tie for first in the ACC. The Irish’s lone ACC loss was to North Carolina. After stunning the Irish last week, the Tar Heels pulled another big upset defeating previously undefeated North Carolina State on Sunday in Chapel Hill.

Those are the only conference losses in 2019 for Notre Dame and NC State. Notre Dame’s other loss this season was 89-71 to UConn in South Bend in December. Notre Dame defeated the Huskies at the buzzer in last season’s Final Four on their way to a National Championship.

The hero of the Fighting Irish’s title run was Arike Ogunbowale who leads the ACC in scoring this season at 21 points per game. Behind Ogunbowale the Fighting Irish have excellent balance offensively. Jessica Shepard, Marina Mabrey and Jackie Young all average between 14 and 16 points per game.

Notre Dame leads the ACC in scoring at 87.3 PPG and in scoring margin at 25 PPG. The Irish are also first in field goal percentage at 51.9 percent and second in the

ACC

in field goal percentage defense at 36 percent. The

Miami women’s basketball team

also has a balanced offense with four players averaging in double figures and a fifth at 9.0 PPG.

Meier is getting exceptional play upfront from 6’3 Senior forward-center Emese Hof and 6’4 forward Beatrice Mompremier. Hof averages 13.8 PPG and 8.4 rebounds. Mompremier who sat out last season after transferring from Baylor has been dominant at times this season for Miami. She is averaging 16.3 PPG and 11.7 RPG.

Mompremier has won multiple ACC Player of the Week Awards this season and is a former McDonald’s All-American. If the Miami women are going to have a chance to pull off the big upset, they are going to need Mompremier to play like an All-American.

GAME 25 | FEB. 3, 2019 • 1 P.M. ET • CORAL GABLES, FLA.

"4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish(21-2, 8-1 ACC)Head Coach: Muffett McGraw (St. Joseph’s, 1977)Record at ND: 821-232 (32nd season), Career Record: 909-273 (first season)25 Miami Hurricanes (19-5, 7-2 ACC)Head Coach: Katie Meier (Duke, 1989 [B.A.], 1990 [M.A.])Record at UM: 271-168 (14th season), Career Record: 347-213 (18th season)SERIES HISTORYThe Hurricanes are 4-19 in their all-time series against Notre Dame, including 1-6 since the Fighting Irish joined the ACC in 2013-14. Most recently, Miami dropped a narrow 83-76 road decision at Notre Dame on Jan. 4, 2018.BROADCAST INFORMATIONACC NETWORK EXTRA • Play-by-Play: Joe Zagacki • Color: Mike Gillian |WVUM 90.5 FM • Brendan Reilly | WVUM.orgInformation Courtesy of HurricaneSports.Com"

Miami is 3-2 this season against ranked teams. The Miami women will continue a challenging schedule down the stretch in the ACC. Second-ranked Louisville whose only loss this season was to Notre Dame comes to the Watsco Center.

Miami also hosts Florida State on February 24 and travels to North Carolina State on March 3. The Hurricanes are in great shape to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season.