Saturday, Texas A&M Women’s Basketball will prepare to take on Notre Dame in the Sweet Sixteen in Chicago on Saturday. Last season, Notre Dame eliminated A&M in the Sweet Sixteen on its way to a national championship title.
Notre Dame is 30-3 record on the year and was crowned the ACC champion for the fifth time in six years. To advance to the to the Sweet Sixteen, the Fighting Irish put up blow out wins against Bethune-Cookman and Michigan State.
Heading into the tournament after earning their eight straight top seed ranking, the Irish feel the pressure is on. Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw said she is proud of the way her team has competed and is excited to see how her team faces off against the Aggies, especially against A&M’s impressive defensive front.
“They [A&M’s defense] mix it up really well, so it’s going to be a challenge for us just to come out and figure out exactly how we want to attack them,” McGraw said.
With an impressive win over Wright State and a close win versus Marquette to advance to regionals, the No. 4 seed Aggies head into Saturday’s game against Notre Dame ready for a rematch.
Heading into Saturday, sophomore guard Chennedy Carter said she is looking toward the opportunity to face off with the Fighting Irish again in pursuit of an Elite Eight berth.
“[Playing Notre Dame again] means a lot. [It was a] bittersweet end to last year. Didn’t really accomplish the things we wanted to,” Carter said. “For us all to get another chance, and me to really get out there and be with my teammates, I’m really excited. ”
Carter, who leads the SEC in scoring this season, can help provide the spark the Aggies need in Saturday’s game. She currently holds the NCAA Tournament record for the fourth-most points scored as well as A&M’s single game record for scoring.
Despite her explosiveness and individual talent, Carter has proved to be a team player during her time as an Aggie, showing her ability to give up big individual plays to ensure team success. A&M head coach Gary Blair believes Carter’s versatility and willingness to trust her teammates is what makes her a complete player
“She enjoys the pass as much as the score,” Blair said. “Great players will do that.”
While he said he is impressed by the continued improvements of Notre Dame throughout the season, Blair is excited to watch his own team go out and compete.
“All we want is one more opportunity,” Blair said.
A&M and Notre Dame will tip off Saturday at 3:00 p.m., at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The winner of Saturday’s game will advance to the Elite Eight and face the winner of No. 11 Missouri State-No. 2 Stanford on, April 1.