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Emma Risch excels in Notre Dame women's basketball blowout of Eastern Michigan

IMG_9992by:Tyler Horkaabout 23 hours

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Notre Dame guard Emma Risch. (Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics)

Emma Risch needed a cathartic showing. She didn’t play a single minute in Notre Dame’s home games against top-five teams Texas on Dec. 5 and UConn on Dec. 12. She only had 5 points to her name since mid-November entering Sunday’s home game against Eastern Michigan.

So she let it all out on the one-win Eagles.

With Notre Dame’s usual rotation shortened because Kate Koval did not play because of soreness, Risch logged at least 10 minutes of time on the floor for the first time since Nov. 17. She made the most of it with a career-high 7 three-point makes on just 8 attempts. Her Sunday afternoon story, 23 points and 5 rebounds, was one of many positive ones for the Fighting Irish, 118-49 winners over EMU (1-6).

“It felt great,” Risch said. “It just helps with my confidence even more, continuing to shoot, continuing to get those opportunities and just getting my confidence.”

Sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo looked like the National Player of the Year candidate she’s already cemented herself as with 27 points, 6 steals, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Junior guard Cassandre Prosper joined the 20-point club on the number for the first time in her career with a foot-on-the-line long jumper in the final minute. It was originally called a three but was reversed to a two quickly after the game ended.

Notre Dame (9-2) had six players reach double figures in scoring, but the team statistics stand out more than anything anyone did individually, as good as Risch was shooting the basketball. The Irish, for instance, scored 50 fast-break points. Eastern Michigan did not have any. Zero. The Irish turned 23 EMU turnovers into 37 points. The Eagles had 5 points off 10 Notre Dame turnovers.

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“I know just to get it and go because transition is where we want to score,” said graduate senior forward Liatu King, who had 15 points and 15 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season. “We want to score in transition. We want to push the pace. We want to get the defense on their toes. If we can do that and get easy points, why not do that?”

Risch, Prosper plus a three-point make from former walk-on Sarah Cernugel made for 46 Notre Dame bench points, by far the team’s highest total of the season. It could have been 49 if new walk-on Luci Jensen made her only shot attempt of the game. She air-balled a three from the top of the key. The 5-10 walk-on was the only one of nine Irish players who appeared in the game to not get on the score sheet. She only played three minutes.

Notre Dame gets a full week off for final exams before hosting Loyola Maryland in South Bend at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 22.

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