All that was missing was a Kyle McCarthy interception.
In a game that was eerily reminiscent of this year’s football clash between the two schools, the Notre Dame women’s basketball team held on down the stretch for a 68-67 victory at No. 21 Michigan State Nov. 19.
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Barlow led the Irish with 17 points in the win.
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Senior guard Ashley Barlow led the fifth-ranked Fighting Irish (2-0) with 17 points, including a foul shot with 10 seconds remaining that provided the margin of victory. Barlow also came up with the rebound on the Spartans’ final shot with four seconds remaining.
Notre Dame jumped out to an early 15-5 lead, and still had a 10-point cushion after senior guard Lindsay Schrader (12 points, 14 rebounds) opened the second half with a layup. Michigan State rallied, however, using a 15-2 surge to take its first lead, 48-47, with 12:18 remaining.
Down by as many as five, the Irish reeled off eight unanswered points to take a 59-56 lead at the 8:41 mark, then kept their cool through three ties and four lead changes in the final four minutes.
Both teams had opportunities after Michigan State tied the game on a Porsche Poole foul shot with 55 seconds on the clock. Schrader missed on a drive at the other end, but the senior redeemed herself by grabbing the rebound when an open layup by 6-foot-9 center Alyssa DeHaan rimmed out.
Schrader missed the front end of a one-and-one with 12 seconds to go, but Barlow beat DeHaan for the board, got fouled and made her second attempt from the line.
“I was confident I was going to make the first one,” said Barlow. “It didn't go in – but I didn't hang my head."
It was a sloppy game at times on both sides. After an opening game in which an incredible eight players scored in double figures, the Irish only had two players, Barlow and Schrader, reach that mark in East Lansing. Notre Dame shot just 22 of 65 (33.8 percent) from the floor and had just 12 assists against 17 turnovers – but by getting 21 takeaways on defense and keeping the rebound margin close (45-44) against the bigger Spartans, the Irish were able to survive.
“I thought we did a pretty good job of keeping our poise down the stretch,” said Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw.
The Fighting Irish play host to Iona at Purcell Pavilion on Sunday afternoon.
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