Monday, November 16, 1998
Notre Dame defeats Bruins on court
RECAP: Women’s basketball team loses opener to Irish, couldn’t
overcome bad start
The Associated Press
South Bend, Ind. – With Notre Dame’s 6-foot-5 center Ruth Riley
on the bench most of the second half in foul trouble, the guard
tandem of Niele Ivey and Danielle Green dominated No. 6 UCLA from
the perimeter as the No. 17 Irish beat the Bruins 99-82 Saturday in
the season opener for both teams.
Ivey scored 25 points and handed out 11 assists – both career
bests – while Green scored 23 in the Irish victory.
"I thought Niele and Danielle were outstanding," Notre Dame
coach Muffet McGraw said. "I thought Niele was the first one to
step up. When Ruth fouled out and they cut it to six, Niele hit the
big shots."
UCLA, which trailed by double digits for most of the game,
threatened only once in the second half, cutting the Irish lead to
six points while Riley sat on the bench with four fouls. Her
absence opened up the middle for Maylana Martin and Melanie
Pearson, who scored from the lane to cut Notre Dame’s lead to 54-48
four minutes into the period.
But Ivey answered a minute later, scoring nine points in a
43-second span, including two 3-pointers sandwiched around a runner
in the lane, putting the Irish ahead 64-50. The Bruins didn’t get
closer than nine points the rest of the way.
While Green and Ivey scored career-bests offensively, they also
confounded the UCLA backcourt, helping to force 30 turnovers.
"We started out slow and allowed them to get their confidence,"
UCLA coach Kathy Olivier said. "They have some good outside
shooters and good quickness. They have a good mix. We struggled
with that."
The Bruins closed within nine points on LaCresha Flannigan’s
full-court drive in the final 10 seconds. But then Ericka Haney
made a 3-pointer at the buzzer, putting the Irish ahead by 12.
Martin registered her 40th straight game in double figures with
26 points, while Pearson finished with 21 after scoring a
career-best 30 points in a double overtime loss to the Irish last
season.
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