Notre Dame’s Muffet McGraw Showing Patience In Young Team

The Notre Dame Women’s basketball team in recent years has left us expecting them to win every game. Maybe outside of Connecticut – which they have had recent success against – we expect them to rise up and be victorious. But this year’s squad is a little bit different. Coach Muffet McGraw has had such excellent leadership and experience in recent memory, but this year she has a young team that is requiring a little bit more patience.

With less senior leadership present on the floor at any given time, McGraw has had to change up her style, as previously she had players on the floor that had more experience and knew what to do. It’s doesn’t take away from the talent this team has, it will just take a bit more guidance from the veteran McGraw. Following the loss to Miami, she made sure to instill some of that into these girls. The message was received loud and clear.

The Irish beat the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers – their fifth straight win over them after starting 0-20 – to give them their sixth win over a ranked opponent this year.The 88-77 victory wasn’t always in hand, as the Vols shot exceptionally well from beyond the arc, hitting 60 percent for the game. After a brief scare in the first half when Jewell Loyd hit the floor hard after committing a charge, she took over and helped cement the win, scoring 34 and continuing her superb play against ranked opponents.

Brianna Turner and Taya Reimer continued their solid play in the paint, although they both seemed to lack aggressiveness on the glass as Tennessee got countless second chances, only to fail to cash in on many of them. Freshman Kathryn Westbeld continued to get solid minutes in the rotation, specifically on defense.

One of the biggest improvements over the course of this year has been the success and growth of point guard Lindsay Allen. The sophomore floor leader continues to improve on the offensive end, while becoming a more vocal leader for this team. Her 15 points to go along with her five rebounds, six assists and three steals show her ability to play a great overall game at the point.

After a brief hiccup against Miami, coach McGraw seems to have her team focused and back on track. ESPN’s Charlie Creme had both teams as No. 1 seeds in his recent Bracketology update, so the win can’t be overlooked for the Irish. And this is without Michaela Mabrey and Madison Cable producing the scoring they did last season. If those two can find their stroke as this team comes together, they will be that much more dangerous come tournament time.