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Notre Dame Women’s Basketball: Irish to face Texas A&M in Sweet 16

By Jordan Small

COLUMBUS, OH - MARCH 30: Marina Mabrey #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates her teams lead late in the game against the Connecticut Huskies during the second half in the semifinals of the 2018 NCAA Women's Final Four at Nationwide Arena on March 30, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated the Connecticut Huskies 91-89. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - MARCH 30: Marina Mabrey #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates her teams lead late in the game against the Connecticut Huskies during the second half in the semifinals of the 2018 NCAA Women's Final Four at Nationwide Arena on March 30, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated the Connecticut Huskies 91-89. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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The Notre Dame women’s basketball team will be back in action on Saturday. In Sweet 16 action, the Irish will take on Texas A&M in Chicago.

On Monday night, the Notre Dame women’s basketball team took on Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Irish defeated the Spartans 91-63. Arike Ogunbowale led all scorers with 23 points and Jackie Young added a double-double in the win. The Irish will now take on Texas A&M in the Sweet 16.

The Irish

Now is when things really start to get serious for the Notre Dame women’s basketball team. After playing the first two rounds at home, they will play the rest of the season on the road. While the road has not been kind to the Irish this season, Chicago could be the perfect recipe for the Irish. It is away from campus which allows for the players to get away from school for a little bit, while also being close enough to campus where the fans can travel with relative ease. Expect for there to be a lot of green in the stands on Saturday as the Irish look to punch their ticket to the next round.

The key for the Irish to be able to punch that ticket will be their offense. If they are able to put up 90-plus points for a third straight game in this tournament, they will be incredibly difficult to stop. While most of the starters have been firing on all cylinders on offense, Marina Mabrey has struggled a bit. She hyper-extended her knee in practice between the ACC Championship and the first round of the NCAA Tournament. If they can get her to start hitting shots again, Notre Dame will be able to score at all five positions.

Texas A&M

Texas A&M comes into Saturday’s matchup at 26-7. They are coming off a 78-76 win over Marquette in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. One player to keep an eye out for is Chennedy Carter. She is averaging 22.9 points per game this season, good for first on her team. Against Marquette on Saturday, she had 30 points and nine rebounds.

Next. Irish Offense Clicks on All Cylinders in Second Round Win. dark

How to watch

Tip-off for the matchup is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.