Notre Dame vs North Carolina Basketball Preview
Notre Dame (8-5) will look to win its fourth straight game when it heads to Chapel Hill to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels (7-5).
GAME PREVIEW
Game Time: 12:00 PM ET
TV: ACC Network
Last Meeting: Notre Dame won 83-65 (Feb. 27, 2020)
Top Storylines
1. Two teams heading in a different direction - Notre Dame enters this matchup 8-5 while the Tar Heels are just a half game behind at 7-5.
Notre Dame, however, is coming in winners of three straight and five of their last six. The Irish are currently 6-3 in league play. North Carolina has lost three straight games and five of their last seven after starting the season 5-0. The Tar Heels are just 2-5 in conference play.
North Carolina ranks third in the conference at 77.9 points per game, but the Heels averaged 92.0 points in its 5-0 start against non-conference opponents. UNC ranks just ninth in scoring in conference games, while the Irish rank sixth.
2. Can Notre Dame build some road momentum - Notre Dame is 6-2 on the season on its home court, but the Irish are just 2-3 on the road. Notre Dame built double digit fourth quarter leads in its last two road games, but it blew that lead in the 64-61 loss at Boston College, and Virginia Tech closed the gap to just two before the Irish put the game away at the free throw line.
Shooting consistency and turnovers have hurt the offense on the road, and if the Irish are going to start building some road momentum it must
3. Battle of top freshmen - Notre Dame freshman forward Maddy Westbeld leads the team at 15.8 points per game, ranking ninth in the conference in scoring and rebounds. She's also second on the team in assists.
North Carolina five-star freshman Deja Kelly ranked ahead of Westbeld according to ESPN, and she's had a solid start to the season, averaging 11.9 points and a team-leading 3.4 assists.
Three of North Carolina's top five scorers are freshmen.
Notre Dame Roster/Stats
North Carolina Roster/Stats
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