No. 20 Notre Dame knocks off No. 21 North Carolina in ACC battle

No. 20 Notre Dame downed No. 21 North Carolina 70-65 in a fast-paced, hard-fought contest in South Bend Sunday afternoon.

The Fighting Irish got off to a slow start as the Tar Heels jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead, staying in front through the first two quarters. Both sides committed to a fast game, getting out in transition and sinking threes to put the scoreboard at 34-33, heading into the half.

Forcing six turnovers to spur a 12-0 run, Notre Dame began to take control of the third quarter, fending off a late 9-0 North Carolina stretch to go up six points. The Fighting Irish continued to dominate the fourth quarter, helped by a string of North Carolina fouls.

Dara Mabrey led all scorers with 24 points, making a season-high six of her 13 attempted shots from beyond the arc. Sonia Citron added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Fighting Irish, while Maddy Westbeld contributed 11 points, five rebounds and two assists.

On the other side of the ball, Maya Dodson held down Notre Dame’s defense, notching 10 rebounds and four blocks to go along with her 10 points.

Sunday’s win extends the Fighting Irish’s undefeated streak at home and improves the team’s conference record to 4-1 on the season, while North Carolina falls to 4-2 in ACC play.