The Stanford Cardinal (15-7, 4-5 ACC) faced off against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (13-8, 5-5 ACC) on their home floor for the first time since 1990, falling 66-78 Sunday afternoon.
Despite having to play without two of their starters, junior forward Nunu Agara and senior guard Talana Lepolo, the remainder of the Cardinal were able to put up a strong fight. Junior forward Courtney Ogden led her team with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Chloe Clardy also stepped up with 16 points and four steals, supplemented by freshman forward Alex Eschemeyer, who had 13 points and three blocks. Ultimately, a 37-point outpouring from Notre Dame’s junior guard Hannah Hidalgo led the Irish to a victory.
The Fighting Irish controlled the first few possessions, going on a 4-0 run to start the game. Freshman guard Hailee Swain kickstarted the action for the Cardinal with a three-point play at the rim followed by a fast break layup. Ogden and Eschmeyer made their contributions from the midrange, helping Stanford go on a 7-2 run prior to the first stoppage.
Ogden continued her momentum following the time-out, pushing the tempo in transition for an easy layup. Stanford was able to hold for the last shot of the quarter where Ogden made a midrange jumper with the and-one opportunity. Ogden’s made free throw put the score at 18-20 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter began without much fanfare from either team, resulting in several stagnant possessions.
Stanford quickly began to build momentum, however, between a floater from Swain followed by a steal into a layup by Clardy. With 5:32 left in the half and 22-24 on the scoreboard, Notre Dame called a time out. Upon resuming play, Eschmeyer got the crowd engaged with two blocks on consecutive possessions, the latter resulting in a shot clock violation for Notre Dame.
The Cardinal and Irish continued to trade baskets for the remainder of the half. Eschmeyer punctuated the end of a neck-and-neck first half with a deep corner jumpshot as the buzzer sounded. The score going into the second half was 30-32 in favor of Notre Dame.
The tone of the third quarter was gritty and physical, with baskets being exchanged by both teams. The Fighting Irish began to penetrate the paint and get to the line with greater frequency throughout the quarter, accounting for much of the team’s forward momentum.
Following a Clardy three-pointer and Ogden layup, Hidalgo began to heat up. A deep step-back jumpshot and steal into an and-one opportunity forced Stanford to call a time out. The final shot of the quarter was a heave by Hidalgo as the shot clock faded, leaving the score at 52-58.
The fourth quarter began with a 6-0 Notre Dame run, closely followed by a Stanford time out. Clardy made a valiant effort throughout the final 10 minutes of the game, accounting for 11 of Stanford’s fourth quarter points. The game’s last big play was a midrange basket plus the foul for Ogden. This play was also Hidalgo’s fifth foul, resulting in her subbing out for the first time since tip off.
Despite the loss, head coach Kate Paye has full confidence in her team and the progress they are making.
“I want to really commend Courtney Ogden, Chloe Clardy, Shay Ijiwoye [and] Mary Ashley Stevenson for taking the load on as returners and really being out there,” Paye said. “And our freshmen are really competing. These are growing pains and some painful lessons, but I truly believe that in the long run they will pay off.”
The Cardinal will look to pick up their next win on the road Thursday against the University of Pittsburgh. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.