RECAP
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Notre Dame delivered on one promise by coach Muffet McGraw to look different without injured Brianna Turner, shifting from lobbing the ball inside to their star forward to throwing up perimeter shots with success.
The strategy certainly suited sophomore guard Arike Ogunbowale, who thrived from all over the court to help the top-seeded Irish maintain their dominance against Ohio State.
Ogunbowale had a career-high 32 points, Lindsay Allen added 16 and Notre Dame easily beat Ohio State 99-76 on Friday night in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Playing five days after losing Turner to a season-ending left knee injury, the top-seeded Irish posted their third-highest output this season while also scoring the most points against the Buckeyes. Ogunbowale seemed almost unstoppable in making 11 of 22 from the field to top her previous high by two points.
"It's evident that we don't have Bri in the paint, so it's spaced out a little bit more," said Ogunbowale, who made four 3s. "Coach told us to shoot our shot and be confident in what we were trying to do, and that's what we did."
Besides Allen, the Irish got 14 points and a career-high nine rebounds from freshman forward Erin Boley, a Kentucky native who started in Turner's place. The Irish tied one season best with 12 3-pointers on a season-high 24 attempts and made 19 of 20 free throws for a thorough win.
Notre Dame (33-3) also used a 30-point third quarter to build an 80-65 lead that wasn't seriously threatened as it reached Sunday's Lexington Regional final against No. 2 seed Stanford, a 77-66 winner over No. 3 seed Texas.
"Our young players just really stepped up in such a big game," McGraw said. "I thought Erin played the best game of the season, Arike had a career high in a huge game without Bri. It was a struggle for us this week trying to overcome that, and I'm just so proud of the resilience of this team."
Kelsey Mitchell had 18 points for No. 5 seed Ohio State (28-7), which was outrebounded 42-30 and outscored 38-34 inside.
BIG PICTURE
Ohio State: The Buckeyes initially shot well and handled their business inside but couldn't match Notre Dame's pace and aggression, especially on the boards. While their bench earned a 34-13 advantage, it couldn't make up the Irish's collective effort.
"Any mistake that we made, they made us pay for," coach Kevin McGuff after facing McGraw, his former boss. "They executed on offense extremely well and shot the ball well. They were clearly the better team today, and that's what we aspire to look like as a program."
Notre Dame: The Irish meshed hustle, crisp passing and a go-for-broke shooting approach from outside to make up for the height disadvantage created by Turner's injury. Boley's second start in three games was her best and helped her team establish the outside game it needed for a win that showed how deep the Irish are. Marina Mabrey had 14 points and Jackie Young 13 as six scored in double figures. Kathryn Westbeld had 11 rebounds and 10 points, giving Turner a lot to like as she watched from the bench.
HAPPY HOMECOMING
Boley gave family and friends a lot to cheer about as the Hodgenville, Kentucky, native played arguably the best game in just her ninth start. Four of her five baskets on 10 attempts came from long range, while her rebounding helped Notre Dame establish an inside presence. Not bad considering the void she had to fill.
"We came out really focused," said Boley, a two-time Associated Press Kentucky Girls Player of the Year. "Everybody was pretty loose and focused, and I thought we did a good job of coming out prepared and ready to play."
UP NEXT
Notre Dame faces No. 2 seed Stanford in Sunday's regional final.
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