Rival Coaches Meet in Sweet Sixteen

0:0025 years after their epic college clash, coaches Neil Ivy of Notre Dame and Shea Ralph of Vanderbilt met again in the Sweet 16 of the Women's NCAA Tournament. Back on March 30, 2001, Ivy's fighting Irish beat Ralph's Yukon team to reach the national title game. This time in Fort Worth, Texas, the sixth-seated Irish pulled off a 67-64 upset over the second-seated comedors. Hannah Hadago stole the show for Notre Dame with a triple double, dropping 31 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, dishing seven assists, and picking off 10 steals. She set up the game-winning play for Cassandra Prosper in the final seconds. Notre Dame led big early, but Vanderbilt clawed back to make it a nail-biter. Vanderbilt's stars, Michaela Blake's and freshman Aubrey Galvin combined for 50 points, fuelling a fierce fourth-quarter rally with ties and led. Changes Ralph, a former Yukon star and assistant coach under Gino Oriema, has transformed the comedors from SEC bottom feeders to contenders.

1:05Under Ralph, Vanderbilt posted a 29-5 record this season, their best since 2002, including 20 straight wins and victories over powerhouses like LSU and South Carolina. She are a national coach of the year honors for the turnaround since taking over in 2021. Notre Dame now heads to the Elite 8 on Sunday against the winner of Yukon and North Carolina, while Vanderbilt exits proud after their deepest. Tournament run in years. These coaches pass from rivals to leaders, keep the basketball world buzzing. Stay informed with Hartford News Today, AI-powered updates. I'm Corey with The Story.