Joyce Center

SOUTH BEND - Talk about a turn of events. After an uneventful and scoreless first period, Notre Dame broke away with five goals in the second period, the first coming short-handed to ignite a 6-2 victory Friday at the Joyce Center. With the 12th-straight sellout crowd looking on, the Irish even survived a Michigan State goal that bounded high off the glass right in front of the goal but behind Irish goalie Mike Johnson for a Spartan goal, in the 5-2 Irish-dominated second period.

SOUTH BEND — The Keenan Revue, a risqué comedy show staged annually by a University of Notre Dame men’s residence hall, will no longer have a venue at Saint Mary’s College. Citing the sexual content of the show as incompatible with the college’s mission, Saint Mary’s recently informed organizers that the Revue won’t be permitted in future years in O’Laughlin Auditorium or anywhere else on the Catholic women’s college campus. "The (college)

SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame freshman Skylar Diggins drove to the wing on the golden maple Joyce Center court, pulled up and fired in a 3 that touched nothing but net during practice for Sunday's NCAA women's basketball tournament game against Cleveland State. Melissa Lechlitner followed with another pull-up jumper that likewise found its mark with lethal precision. Ashley Barlow, another swish. If what the second-seeded Irish did in their green practice jerseys is any indication, Notre Dame is ready to begin its quest for NCAA Tournament glory.

Erica Solomon, a 6-2, junior forward who had been emerging as a force off the bench, has left the Notre Dame women's basketball team. "She has left the team for personal reasons," Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said after Monday's practice at the Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. "She is not coming back. " Notre Dame (9-3) plays in Seattle on Wednesday and Thursday against Gonzaga and Loyola Marymount, respectively, in the State Farm Holiday Hoops Classic. Solomon was unavailable for comment, and Notre Dame officials did not know if she would be transferring to another program.

SOUTH BEND — Lightning flashed across the Joyce Center court, lightning wearing a green script 4 on a white Irish jersey. Skylar Diggins scored a career-high 31 points, ripped off a career-high seven steals, and kicked out six assists to lead No. 2 seed Notre Dame to an 84-66 victory against No. 10 seed Vermont Tuesday night in second round action of the NCAA women's basketball tournament. Coach Muffet McGraw's Fighting Irish (29-5) advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the eighth time in school history, all since 1997.

SOUTH BEND -- Coach Muffet McGraw’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish walked off the Joyce Center court after Sunday’s first-round NCAA Tournament action with their 28th victory of the season, joining the 2001 and the 1997 Notre Dame women’s basketball teams as the only Irish squads to reach that height. Now, the Irish (28-5) want to continue their journey to join those two storied teams in an even more elite category. McGraw’s 2001 and 1997 teams are the only Notre Dame women’s basketball clubs to reach the Final Four, with the 2001 team setting the gold standard for the Irish by capturing the national title.

Da’Shena Stevens spotted up and hit a jumper to pull No. 23-ranked St. John’s to within two points of Notre Dame, 13-11, with 14:43 left in the Sunday’s college women’s basketball game at the Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Those would be the last points Stevens would score and as close as St. John’s would get as the Irish pulled away for a 39-21 halftime lead en route to a 69-36 battering. It was the fewest points allowed by Notre Dame in Big East play this season, and for the Red Storm, it was 19 points below their previous season-low of 55 points.

SOUTH BEND - With three third-period goals, Notre Dame’s 11th-ranked hockey team assured its fans a festive holiday feeling with a 5-2 win over Northern Michigan on Sunday at the Joyce Center that put the Irish alone in first place in the CCHA heading into the Christmas break. They then joined a couple hundred from the crowd of 2,592 for a post-game skate amid holiday music. Notre Dame improved to 9-4-1-1 in the CCHA and 11-6-2 overall. “We wanted to make sure we ended the first half on a good note,” said senior Calle Ridderwall, whose backhand rebound shot in the slot 12:50 into the final period put the Irish back in control with a 4-2 lead.

Instead of hitting the wall like many college freshmen basketball players do as February rolls around, Notre Dame freshman Skylar Diggins continues to impress with her progress. Diggins leads the Irish in scoring, averaging 13.7 points a game. She also leads Notre Dame with 51 steals, and is second on the team with 57 assists. Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw is pleased with the maturity Diggins has shown as the season gets closer to tournament time. “I think she’s doing a really good job of controlling her emotions,” McGraw said.

SOUTH BEND - Villanova walked onto the Joyce Center court at the start of Saturday’s game second in the nation in fewest turnovers per game - an average of only 12.6. By the time the final horn sounded, Villanova’s lofty status was in shambles, turning the ball over 34 times as Notre Dame tamed the Wildcats 81-46. Coach Muffet McGraw’s No. 3 Irish boast a 14-0 record, the best start in school history since the national championship team of 2000-2001 won its first 23 games.