Notre Dame women’s basketball advanced to the NCAA Tournament round of 32 with a 79-60 win over No. 11 seed Fairfield Saturday, March 21. The No. 6 seed Irish now face No. 3 seed Ohio State in the Round of 32 at 4 p.m. Monday, March 23 on the Buckeyes’ home court at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus.
Notre Dame leads the all-time series 4-0, with the most recent meeting coming in the 2017 Sweet Sixteen. The Irish have made the Sweet Sixteen four seasons in a row but have not made it further since 2019.
Junior First Team All-American and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Player of the Year Hannah Hidalgo looks to lead Notre Dame past the first weekend of March Madness once again, but the Buckeyes will present a stiff challenge this year. Here’s everything you need to know about Ohio State women’s basketball.
How did Ohio State advance to NCAA Tournament Round of 32?
The Buckeyes beat the No. 14 seed Howard Bison 75-54 in the first round Saturday. Ohio State was an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after going 24-6 in the regular season and then 2-1 in the Big Ten Championship Tournament.
The Buckeyes were knocked out of their conference tournament by the eventual champion No. 1 seed UCLA Bruins in a semifinal contest.
Who are the statistical leaders for Ohio State?
Sophomore Jaloni Cambridge is one of the best players in the country, averaging 22.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game. She has been named to the All-Big Ten First Team, the AP All-America Second Team, the USBWA All-America Second Team, and is a USA Today Sports All-American honorable mention.
The only other Buckeye to average double digit scoring numbers is senior Chance Gray with 14.9 per night. She was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention.
Cambridge’s older sister, redshirt junior Kennedy, averages 3.9 steals per game. That’s the second-highest mark in the Power-5, trailing only Hidalgo. Cambridge was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team and is a Nasmith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist.
Ohio State’s leading rebounder is 6-foot, 6-inch sophomore Elsa Lemmilä. She brings in 7.3 boards, scores 9.3 points and blocks 2.2 shots per game.
What is Ohio State’s NCAA Tournament history?
The Buckeyes have only made it to the national championship game once, a two-point loss to Texas Tech in 1993. That was also their only Final Four appearance.
Ohio State has made four Elite Eights and 13 Sweet Sixteens. The Buckeyes have participated in the NCAA Tournament 29 times, compiling a 36-28 record.
They have lost in the Round of 32 the past two seasons despite hosting both times. Notre Dame has only faced Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament once, beating the Buckeyes 99-76 in the 2017 Sweet Sixteen.
Notre Dame vs Ohio State NCAA Tournament Round of 32 prediction
Notre Dame 67, Ohio State 65: The Irish pull off their first NCAA Tournament upset since 2022, just pushing past the hosting Buckeyes thanks to yet another clutch performance from Hidalgo. Notre Dame headed into March Madness six spots below Ohio State in the NET Rankings, but the Irish pick up their seventh win this season vs. a Quad 1 opponent as they continue to prove they can hang with the big dogs.
Notre Dame advances to the Sweet Sixteen for the fifth season in a row while the Buckeyes fail to make it out of the first weekend for the third consecutive year.
How to watch Notre Dame vs Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32
A specific channel or tip-off time as not yet been announced, but all NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament games are broadcast on ESPN affiliates, which are available with any subscription or cable package including DirectTV, YouTube TV, ESPN+, Hulu+ Live TV, Sling TV, Fubo and more.
Watch Notre Dame women’s basketball on Fubo
Notre Dame women’s basketball ticket info for NCAA Tournament
See the link below to purchase tickets for Notre Dame vs Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32.
Buy Notre Dame women’s basketball tickets
Kyle Smedley is a sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email at ksmedley@usatodayco.com or follow him on X @KyleMSmedley.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Ohio State vs Notre Dame Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament preview
Reporting by Kyle Smedley, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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