Notre Dame routs Liberty 74-43 in NCAA 1st round

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) So anxious and eager was Notre Dame to get back in the NCAA tournament, the Irish pretty much decided the outcome of their opener in the first two minutes.

Top-seeded Notre Dame took off with the game's first 11 points Sunday and, playing loose on their home floor, routed Liberty 74-43.

''It was important for us to come out and understand that the game started at 0-0 and we did not want to underestimate them, so we wanted to get off to a good start,'' guard Skylar Diggins said.

''We hadn't played in a while and that fed into it a lot. Plus, it's the NCAA tournament and upsets happen on both sides (men and women) and you don't want to be that team. So, we wanted to make a statement right off the tip and control the tempo right away.''

Did they ever. After Liberty closed to within 16-8, Notre Dame reeled off 11 more points in a row and that led to a 44-19 halftime lead. Notre Dame was up by as many as 34 in the second half when coach Muffet McGraw was able to substitute freely and rest her regulars.

The Irish (31-3), the national runner-up last year, will face California (25-9) on Tuesday at the Purcell Pavilion, where Notre Dame is 16-1 this season. The Golden Bears beat Iowa 84-74 in the first game and they will most certainly provide a stronger test.

In the Irish's opening burst, Natalie Novosel and Brittany Mallory hit 3-pointers to open the scoring. Kayla McBride converted a three-point play and Devereaux Peters made a jumper for an 11-0 lead with 18:24 left in the half.

Playing in her first NCAA tournament game, McBride had 13 of her team-high 15 points in the first half to get the Irish moving.

''I came out with a sense of urgency to try and get into the flow of the game and try to get good shots,'' McBride said.

''I think she was so anxious to play in her first NCAA and she really came out well,'' McGraw said of McBride.

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Notre Dame routs Liberty 74-43 in NCAA 1st round