Ranked ND women overpower Redhawks

~ Notre Dame scored the game's first 36 points on its way to a 97-21 victory

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team was manhandled Sunday afternoon by one of the nation's elite squads.

Notre Dame, ranked 14th and 16th in the two major national polls, scored the first 36 points of the game and blasted the Redhawks 97-21 in South Bend, Ind.

Skylar Diggins had 18 points to lead the Irish (12-3), who led 40-6 at halftime and set numerous school records in the game. The 21 points was the fewest Notre Dame ever has allowed, eclipsing the 25 points to Grace College in 1978.

"I am so pleased with how this team comes out, game after game, with so much intensity and a willingness to play," said Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw, whose squad won the 2001 NCAA title. "It's very impressive how they really take nobody lightly. I thought that we did a lot of things well today."

Southeast (5-9) scored its fewest points since the program's inaugural season of 1975-76.

"Obviously Notre Dame has a very good basketball program. They have won a national title, been to the final four and play in one of the top conferences in the country," Southeast coach John Ishee said. "My biggest disappointment is that my team did not compete, that we were defeated before we even took the floor."

The Redhawks missed their first 18 shots and got their first basket, a 3-pointer by sophomore Katie Norman, with 5 minutes, 20 seconds to go in the first half.

Sophomore Jasmine Davis scored a team-high six points for the Redhawks, who shot 12.5 percent (7 of 56), were outrebounded 66-24 and were outscored 58-0 in the paint.

"Their length made it very difficult. They had speed and size to contest shots and also take away dribble penetration," Ishee said. "We got decent looks. We have some good shooters but we did not hit shots."

Devereaux Peters had a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Irish. Kayla McBride added 17 points and Becca Bruszewski had 12.

Southeast begins a three-game Ohio Valley Conference homestand Saturday against defending OVC regular-season champion and preseason favorite Eastern Illinois at 4 p.m.