March 31, 2013

Kansas' Run Ends at Regionals; Jayhawks Downed 93-63

March 31, 2013

No. 2 Notre Dame 93, Kansas 63
Constant Convocation Center // Norfolk, Va.

Carolyn Davis led KU in scoring in their Sweet Sixteen game against Notre Dame Sunday.

Final Stats | Final Stats (PDF)

Game Coverage

NORFOLK, Va. – It had the makings of a Kansas success story, as Carolyn Davis scored 20-plus points and Angel Goodrich dished out double-digit assists, but No. 1 seed Notre Dame justified its tournament seeding and No. 2 overall national ranking by ending the magical 2013 NCAA Tournament run of the Jayhawks, 93-63, in the regional semifinal Sunday afternoon at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.

The loss ends Kansas season, which finished with a 20-14 overall record, after collecting back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances. KU has posted 20 wins in three-straight seasons, including four of the last five. Notre Dame improved to 34-1 and increased its win streak to 29-straight games.

Davis led Kansas with 25 points and Monica Engelman added 10, as the only two Jayhawks to score double figures. Goodrich scored seven points and posted a game-high 13 assists.

ND’s Skylar Diggins drained her fourth three-point field goal at the 15:42 mark of the second half, which upped the Irish’s lead, 56-36. Notre Dame pushed the lead to 26 points, but a traditional three-point play by Monica Engelman closed the Kansas deficit to 19 points, 64-45, with 11:54 left. That was the closet KU ever got.

Kansas matched the Fighting Irish shot for shot in the game’s first five minutes, as the Jayhawks led, 15-14. Diggins caught fire at that point and scored all nine points in a 9-0 Irish run to take a 23-15 lead at the 10:22 mark. KU held tight for the remainder of the half, until the final two minutes, when Diggins drained back-to-back threes for a 40-27 halftime lead. Diggins poured in 22 points in the first half and finished with a game-best 27. With that scoring effort, Diggins became the all-time leading scorer in Notre Dame history.

ND will now face the winner of the second regional semifinal between Duke and Nebraska.

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