SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — After routing Iowa, Arike Ogunbowale and No. 1 Notre Dame can now turn their attention to their showdown Sunday with No. 2 UConn.

“It’s one of the best rivalries in college basketball,” said Ogunbowale after she scored 30 points and her fellow starters all finished in double figures as the Irish routed 14th-ranked Hawkeyes 105-71 on Thursday night.

It was Ogunbowale’s long jumper in overtime during the NCAA Women’s Final Four that helped the Irish eliminate the Huskies last season . She then beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer two nights later to provide Notre Dame with a 61-58 victory over Mississippi State and coach Muffet McGraw’s second national title at the school

“When we play like that and play together, we’re really unstoppable,” Ogunbowale said after shooting 13-of-21 from the field against the Hawkeyes.

Brianna Turner added 14 points and 11 rebounds while Marina Mabrey had 18 points in her second game after missing the first five contests with a quad injury.

“It was probably one of our better games of the season,” McGraw said. “I think we still have a lot of work to do defensively. But I was really excited about the assist-to-turnover ratio. That’s the thing that has been missing.”

The Irish had 21 assists on their 40 baskets and committed just nine turnovers as McGraw rested her regulars for most of the final quarter during which the lead reached 39 points.

“Offensively, they are just a juggernaut — there are so many weapons and so many people you have to guard on that team,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “It was their offense which took us out of our game.”
Megan Gustafson scored 26 points with 10 rebounds, Tania Davis had 15 points and Hannah Stewart added 12 for Iowa (4-2), which was outrebounded 49-36 by Notre Dame and committed 18 turnovers.

“(Megan) gave us fits inside,” McGraw said. “It was a tough matchup for us. We really struggled to guard her.”

For most of the game, McGraw employed a 2-3 zone, trying to front Gustafson with the 6-foot-3 Turner with the 6-4 Shepard behind her. It was Turner’s block of Gustafson early in the third quarter that ended the Iowa center’s 14-for-14 effort over a game and a half and got the Irish rolling.

The Irish never trailed and were up 11 after the first quarter and at halftime. A 20-3 start to the third quarter made it a rout as Notre Dame led 79-48 heading into the final period.

UP NEXT
Iowa: Sunday vs. Robert Morris.
Notre Dame: Sunday vs. No. 2 Connecticut in the Jimmy V Classic.