Jackets Fall to Fighting Irish in Quarters

Greensboro, N.C. – Digna Strautmane scored 12 points and Eylia Love added 11 for Georgia Tech, but Notre Dame shot 51.8 percent from the floor and made 10-of-27 three-point shots to defeat the Yellow Jackets, 71-53, Friday in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum.

The No. 4 seed in the tournament, Notre Dame (22-7) advances to face the seventh seed, Miami, at 2:30 p.m. Friday in one semifinal game at the Greensboro Coliseum. The No. 6-seed Yellow Jackets fell to 21-8 and returns to Atlanta to await news on a potential NCAA Tournament selection a week from Sunday.

Olivia Miles and Maddy Westbeld led the Fighting Irish with 17 points apiece, while Sonia Citron added 12.

Eylia Love scored 11 points with six rebounds in Friday’s ACC Tournament loss to Notre Dame. (Brian Savage photo)

Notre Dame gained momentum in the second period, hitting 9-of-14 shots from the floor and outscoring the Yellow Jackets 21-14 after Tech had taken their last lead of the game, 14-13 on Strautmane’s three-pointer. The Fighting Irish built a nine-point halftime lead, 34-25, behind Miles and Westbeld, who each scored 10 points apiece in the opening half.

Tech remained within striking distance by making 5-of-6 shots from three-point range in the third period. Lorela Cubaj came alive with two big baskets in the fourth period to get the Jackets as close as seven points, 60-53, with 4:12 remaining. They were Tech’s last points in the game, however, and the Fighting Irish finished the game on an 11-0 run.

Sarah Bates added nine points for Tech on three three-point shots, while Lotta-Maj Lahtinen finished with eight points and four assists. Cubaj had only the two fourth-period baskets in the game, but grabbed 11 rebounds and had five assists. Love had six rebounds and five assists to go with her 11 points.

Digna Strautmane knocked down four three-point baskets in Friday’s ACC Tournament loss to Notre Dame. (Brian Savage photo)