Notre Dame’s women’s basketball team matched the second-best start in school history Tuesday night as it rolled past host DePaul.
The sixth-ranked Fighting Irish didn’t necessarily have history in their favor as the Blue Demons had won three of four previous meetings.
But Notre Dame (13-1, 2-0) did have four players in double figures and a 50-29 rebounding edge as it claimed an 86-62 Big East victory at McGrath Arena.
Junior center Erica Williamson had a career-high 20 points while freshman guard Natalie Novosel added 18. Forward Keisha Hampton paced DePaul with a game-high 19.
DePaul (12-4, 0-2) suffered its second straight loss.
The Fighting Irish, ranked sixth by coaches and 12th in this week’s Associated Press national poll, have lost only in overtime at Michigan last month.
Notre Dame erased an early DePaul lead with a 10-0 run. The Irish grabbed their first advantage at 11-10 on a Becca Bruszewski jumper and never trailed again.
Notre Dame shot 17 of 34 and had a 25-10 rebounding edge in the first half as it built a 44-30 lead.
DePaul sophomore Felicia Chester had a game-high 14 points in the same span, but the Demons were collectively just 39 percent from the field and just 1 of 7 on three-point tries.
The lead topped 20 with 15:47 left in the second half as Bruszewski’s baseline drive gave the Irish a 56-35 lead.
The Fighting Irish won 13 of their first 14 games in 2004-05. Their all-time best was 23 straight victories to start 2000-01.
