The 5th ranked Notre Dame women's basketball team brought in in-state rival Purdue. The 11th ranked Boilermakers owned the overall series with the Irish, but ND had won 6 straight heading into Saturday's contest.
With Skylar Diggins in foul trouble and Purdue making a run, Notre Dame kept its cool.
Diggins picked up her second foul midway through the first half and coach Muffet McGraw decided to see how her team would respond instead of rushing her star guard back in the game.
The Boilers pulled within 5 but Muffet's move worked as the Irish went on a 10-2 run, including consecutive baskets by Kayla McBride that sparked the fifth-ranked team to a 74-47 victory over No. 11 Purdue on Saturday.
"Really, really pleased with the way we never panicked," said Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw "That's huge for us, because it hadn't happened yet."
McBride finished with 18 points and Natalie Achonwa added 15 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. Diggins ended with 16 points and also recorded her 300th career steal 5:37 into the second half when she poked the ball away from Courtney Moses and drove in for a layup, which pushed Notre Dame's lead to 23. Diggins is the third player in Notre Dame history with at least 300 career steals.
Courtney Moses led the Boilermakers (11-2) with 13 points and Taylor Manuel added 12.
Notre Dame (10-1) won its fifth straight game overall, and seventh in a row over Purdue, the longest win streak by either side in the series. The Irish did it by dominating the boards with a 56-28 rebounding advantage. That total included 25 offensive rebounds, which was one less than Purdue's total.
