Notre Dame vs Fairfield: NCAA Tournament Showdown

0:00On March 16, the Notre Dame women's basketball team drew the number six seed in the Fort Worth region of the NCAA Tournament. They will take on number 11 Fairfield in the first round on Saturday at 2pm, Eastern Time from Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The game airs on ESPN. Notre Dame heads in with a 22 and 10 record after a close loss to Duke in the ACC semi-finals. The fighting Irish boasts strong wins over top teams like USC and Louisville, though they had some tough defeats earlier. Lately, they have won seven of their last eight, showing real momentum. Leading the charge is Junior Guard Hannah Hadalgo, who tops the nation in steals at 5.4 per game and ranks third in scoring with. 25.2 points per game. She just earned ACC player of the year for the second straight season and defensive player of the year for the third time. Fairfield earned their spot by winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament and brings a strong 28 and 4 record.

1:02Coach Carly Tabult-Dudonis has built a powerhouse there, going 102 and 26 in four years. Key players include scoring leader Katie Lamarrow at 18.5 points per game and sharp shooter Megan Anderson. A Notre Dame win sends them against the winner of Ohio State and Howard on Monday, March 23rd. This matchup pits experience against mid-major fire, setting up an intriguing opener.