This Week: The Notre Dame College women's basketball tips-off the 2023-24 campaign this weekend at the Conference Challenge in Erie, Pa. The Falcons begin with Clarion University on Friday Nov. 10 at 3 p.m., before facing the hosts, Gannon University on Saturday Nov. 11 at 5:30 p.m.
 
Records: NDC and Clarion begin the week at 0-0, while Gannon boasts a 3-0 record. Last year, Notre Dame went 7-22, as Clarion was 5-22 and Gannon finished 29-5.
 
Coaches Corner: Lauren Macer is back at the helm of the Notre Dame College women's basketball team in her second stint and fifth season as head coach. Macer maintains a 78-32 career record. Danielle Fleming is in her first season as head coach of Clarion. Cleve Wright begins his 16^th season with Gannon.
 
Rankings: Gannon is currently receiving votes to be ranked nationally according to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) preseason poll.
 
Series History: NDC is 0-1 all-time when facing Clarion, dating back to their lone meeting on Nov. 17, 2012, when the Golden Eagles came out on top 57-55 in South Euclid, Ohio. The Falcons are 0-2 all-time when playing against Gannon, dating back to their first meeting in 2012 and including the Golden Knights 70-58 victory last season in Erie, Pa.
 
Noting the Falcons: Last season, Notre Dame made the Mountain East Conference tournament for the 10^th year in a row, every season since joining the MEC in 2013-14. The No. 10 seed Falcons fell in the First Round of the tournament to No. 7 Concord, 78-67.
 
The Falcons return their second-leading scorer and top rebounder from a year ago in sophomore Noel Weathers. Weathers played in 26 games and started 15, as the Cincinnati, Ohio native averaged 11.0 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per game. The Mt. Healthy High School product ranked 11^th in the MEC in rebounding and fifth in the league in blocks per game (1.0). The freshman from a year ago added a team-high four double-doubles on a team-best 47.3% shooting from the floor.
 
Notre Dame also returns junior Lilee Carlson, junior Karli Anker and sophomore Cencere McDaniel as other key contributors. Carlson played in 21 games and started nine last season, ranking fifth on the team in scoring at 6.2 ppg. Anker posted 29 games played and 10 starts a year ago, ranking third on the team in assists (31), steals (25) and free throw percentage (74.3%). McDaniel appeared in 26 contests last year, securing the fourth-most rebounds (65) and assists (30) on the squad.
 
Notre Dame adds Rachel Richardson, Marisa Jones, Hayley St. John, Kennadi Harris, Makaiya Thomas, Avril Drew and Izabella Zirzow into the mix for head coach Lauren Macer and the new-look NDC Falcons.
 
In 2022-23, Notre Dame averaged 63.2 points per game on 37.9-percent shooting from the floor and 28.9-percent shooting from three. NDC secured 32.7 rebounds per game and 10.1 assists per game.
 
Noting the Golden Eagles: Last season, Clarion concluded with a 72-34 loss at Edinboro on Feb 25. Prior to that, the Golden Eagles picked up back-to-back wins at Mercyhurst (74-69) and at Slippery Rock (75-71). The pair of wins snapped an 11-game losing streak during the middle of the season, which featured CU falling to nationally-ranked Gannon 71-46 and 83-60.
 
Clarion saw a large turnover in their roster from a year ago, as the Golden Eagles return Heather Ansell who appeared in 20 games, starting one contest on 6.5 minutes per game. Ansell is the lone returning Golden Eagle with starting experience from last season. Abby Gatesman averaged 14 minutes last year, the most amongst CU returners.
 
Siara Conley is the team's top returning scorer at 4.2 ppg on 50-percent shooting from the floor (44-88).
 
Last season, Clarion averaged 55.6 points per game on 38.0-percent shooting from the floor, and 29.7-percent shooting from three. CU grabbed 33.7 rebounds and 10.0 assists per game.
 
Noting the Golden Knights: Last week, Gannon kicked off the 2023-24 campaign with three wins over a three-day stretch at the Division II CCA Tip-Off Tournament in Billings, MT. On Friday, GU defeated Texas A&M-Kingsville 49-41, before turning around to down No. 19 Angelo State 76-63 on Saturday. The Golden Knights closed out the weekend with a 68-56 victory over No. 5 Tampa on Sunday. Last season, Gannon's season came to an end in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, 69-65 to No. 7 Charleston, as GU claimed the No. 21 spot in the final WBCA poll of 2022-23.
 
Samantha Pirosko is the heart and soul to the Gannon offense, leading the team in scoring at 19.7 ppg, the only Golden Knight in double figures. Pirosko is also the team's leading rebounder (7.7), as the redshirt senior paced the team last season with 20.4 ppg and 7.5 rpg.
 
Other Golden Knights such as Maddy Wheatley (9.3), McKel Nation (7.7), Carissa Dunham (7.7) and Bri Claxon (7.7) add additional offensive support. Each player is capable of knocking down the long-range shot, as all four players boast three-point percentages above 36-percent.
 
As a team, Gannon is supporting 64.3 ppg on 38.4-percent shooting from the floor and 30.7-percent shooting from three. GU brings down 34.7 rpg and dishes out 13.7 apg.