SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Loyola University Maryland's Ashley Hunter returned to the court with a flourish on Friday night, scoring a career-high 16, but 16th-ranked University of Notre Dame had three players with 19 points or more, and the Fighting Irish defeated the Greyhounds, 84-60, in Loyola's 2019-20 season-opener.
 
Hunter missed all but the first four games of last season, but she came off the bench to tally 16 in only 12 minutes of action. She topped her previous career-high of 12 from a December 2017 game against Navy.
 
Alexis Gray chipped in 10 points, and Mackenzie Wagner added nine in her collegiate debut as 10 Greyhounds scored in the game. Stephanie Karcz led Loyola with eight rebounds, and she moved into fourth all-time in the Patriot League in steals with 314 in her career after tallying three Friday night.

"I am really proud of how we competed against one of the top programs in the history of our sport," said Loyola Head Coach Joe Logan. "We have a lot from this game that we can build upon as the season goes on."
 
Notre Dame (2-0 overall), which lost by one in last year's NCAA Championship Game, opened up a 12-point lead, 19-7 by closing the first quarter on a 10-2 run, but the Greyhounds scored nine of the second frame's first 11 points, as a Hunter basket in the paint made it 21-16 in Notre Dame's favor, forcing a Fighting Irish timeout.
 
Out of the break, the home Atlantic Coast Conference team scored the first seven points to go back up by 12, 28-16, before a Hannah Niles three cut it back to nine. Notre Dame responded with a 12-0 run to build a double-digit lead it would hold for the remainder of the game.
 
Katlyn Gilbert led all players with a career-high 24 points for the Fighting Irish, making 9 of 15 shots. Destinee Walker and Anaya Peoples each added 19, while Sam Brunelle scored 12 and had a game-best nine rebounds.
 
Five Greyhounds made their collegiate debuts – Emma Glezen, Emily McAteer (2 points, 2 rebounds), Bri Rozzi (4 points, 2 steals), Ava Therien (4 points, 3 rebounds) and Wagner (9 points, 2 steals) – in the game.
 
Karcz and Laryn Edwards each had three assists, and Edwards also grabbed six rebounds.
 
The Greyhounds continue their Midwest road swing on Sunday, November 10, when they play in Evanston, Illinois, at Northwestern University in a 3:30 p.m. (Central) game.