All five Irish starters earn ACC honors
Published 9:50 am Friday, March 8, 2019
GREENSBORO, N.C. — The six-time ACC regular season champion, University of Notre Dame, placed all five of its starters on either the Blue Ribbon Panel’s or Coaches’ Panel first or second team all-conference lists.
This marks the most selections the Fighting Irish have ever received for end of the year all-conference teams.
Senior guard Arike Ogunbowale and senior forward Jessica Shepard were unanimous first team selections for the second consecutive year. Brianna Turner became the first Irish player to earn All-ACC honors all four years, earning a second team nod this afternoon. Furthermore, Turner was selected to the All-ACC Defensive Team.
Junior guard Jackie Young received second team accolades for the first time. Lastly, Marina Mabrey earned second team honors for the second straight year, as chosen by the ACC coaches.
Ogunbowale co-led the ACC in scoring with 21.4 points per game, which ranks 14th in the nation. The program’s new all-time leading scorer proved her consistency by leading the ACC in 20-point scoring performances with 20, along with five games with 30-plus points.
Shepard nearly averages a double-double with 16.1 points and 9.9 rebounds, while shooting 60.1 percent from the field, as the latter ranks 13th in the nation and second in the ACC.
Turner becomes the fifth different Irish player to receive all-conference accolades all four years, joining the likes of Jacqueline Batteast, Skylar Diggins, Beth Morgan and Sandy Botham.
After receiving Honorable Mention last year, Young moves up with her Second Team nod. The junior is averaging 14.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists, as the latter ranks second in the ACC and 38th in the country.
Mabrey is averaging 14.2 points and 4.7 assists for the Irish, as the latter ranks fourth in the ACC. In fact, Mabrey has been on fire in the assist department lately, dishing out a total of 26 over the last three games.