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SOUTH BEND – Her phone wouldn’t stop buzzing and might not for a couple more hours with another text message from another family member or another friend wanting to reach out and share the moment.
Her moment.
This was not a typical post-game for Notre Dame women’s basketball walk-on freshman guard Luci Jensen following a 105-54 Irish victory over Stephen F. Austin in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament at Purcell Pavilion.
Three for Free: Notre Dame women's basketball cruises by Stephen F. Austin in March Madness, advances to NCAA second round
Round Two: Who does Notre Dame women's basketball play next in 2025 NCAA Tournament? Second round update
It wasn’t that Jensen played in the one-sided contest and logged just under five minutes of game time. Eight previous times before this season, with Irish games long decided, the 5-foot-10 guard from Brookfield, Wisconsin had checked in and helped the Irish run out whatever time remained on the clock.
What was different for Jensen was that she scored her first collegiate points on a 3-pointer from the left wing with 3:58 remaining that gave the Irish a 98-47 lead and threatened to blow the roof off the old south dome. It got that loud. It got really loud.
It gets loud in Purcell Pavilion when anything big happens for Notre Dame women’s basketball. But when a walk-on member of the team checks into games, when a walk-on member of the team scores in games, it gets ridiculously loud.
At no time did the crowd of 7,542 get as loud as it did when Jensen banged in her first career basket. Prior to Friday she had taken one shot this season. She took one shot Friday, though this time, it went in.
It was pure. It was pandemonium.
Perhaps the only ones more excited than the fans for the moment were Jensen’s teammates.
“It’s amazing,” said senior forward Maddy Westbeld.
“I ws so excited,” said freshman forward Kate Koval. “It just brings me joy.”
Afterward, Jensen had to step away from the usual Irish post-game card game to do something she’s never done as a member of the Notre Dame women’s basketball team. She had to do an interview.
“It was a super-big opportunity, and it was just so fun,” Jensen said of her One Shining Moment. “It was so cool. Looking back, I never thought I would be in this position. I love it.”
Jensen played at Brookfield (Wisc.) Academy, where she scored over 1,000 career points and was a three-time first team all-conference selection. She didn’t plan to play in college. Not at Notre Dame, where her two sisters also are students. Club basketball would be as close as she would get to a court. She loved the game too much to give it up.
She wouldn't have to. Jensen answered a walk-on tryout call in the fall. In November, she learned that she had earned a roster spot and would be one of three walk-ons.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “It was so cool. Pretty much like shock. When this came up, I wanted to take it.”
Shock, just like her basket. Jensen checked in for All-American Hannah Hidalgo and was given some advice from teammates on the bench — if you’re open, they all told her, shoot it. Don’t think. Don’t worry. Just. Shoot.
“Just do it,” Jensen said. “That was my mentality. When I saw the opportunity, I just took it.”
Took it and ran with it and made it. What was the moment like?
“The energy is insane from all the fans,” Jensen said. “When I made that shot, it was so cool.”
Jensen admitted that she had yet to watch the shot on her phone. That would come later in the day and likely into the night. Maybe all night. Would Jensen even sleep after what had happened?
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ll try my best.”
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact Noie at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: One Shining Moment for one Notre Dame women's basketball walk-on guard
Continue reading...
Her moment.
This was not a typical post-game for Notre Dame women’s basketball walk-on freshman guard Luci Jensen following a 105-54 Irish victory over Stephen F. Austin in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament at Purcell Pavilion.
Three for Free: Notre Dame women's basketball cruises by Stephen F. Austin in March Madness, advances to NCAA second round
Round Two: Who does Notre Dame women's basketball play next in 2025 NCAA Tournament? Second round update
It wasn’t that Jensen played in the one-sided contest and logged just under five minutes of game time. Eight previous times before this season, with Irish games long decided, the 5-foot-10 guard from Brookfield, Wisconsin had checked in and helped the Irish run out whatever time remained on the clock.
What was different for Jensen was that she scored her first collegiate points on a 3-pointer from the left wing with 3:58 remaining that gave the Irish a 98-47 lead and threatened to blow the roof off the old south dome. It got that loud. It got really loud.
It gets loud in Purcell Pavilion when anything big happens for Notre Dame women’s basketball. But when a walk-on member of the team checks into games, when a walk-on member of the team scores in games, it gets ridiculously loud.
At no time did the crowd of 7,542 get as loud as it did when Jensen banged in her first career basket. Prior to Friday she had taken one shot this season. She took one shot Friday, though this time, it went in.
It was pure. It was pandemonium.
Perhaps the only ones more excited than the fans for the moment were Jensen’s teammates.
“It’s amazing,” said senior forward Maddy Westbeld.
“I ws so excited,” said freshman forward Kate Koval. “It just brings me joy.”
Afterward, Jensen had to step away from the usual Irish post-game card game to do something she’s never done as a member of the Notre Dame women’s basketball team. She had to do an interview.
“It was a super-big opportunity, and it was just so fun,” Jensen said of her One Shining Moment. “It was so cool. Looking back, I never thought I would be in this position. I love it.”
Jensen played at Brookfield (Wisc.) Academy, where she scored over 1,000 career points and was a three-time first team all-conference selection. She didn’t plan to play in college. Not at Notre Dame, where her two sisters also are students. Club basketball would be as close as she would get to a court. She loved the game too much to give it up.
She wouldn't have to. Jensen answered a walk-on tryout call in the fall. In November, she learned that she had earned a roster spot and would be one of three walk-ons.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “It was so cool. Pretty much like shock. When this came up, I wanted to take it.”
Shock, just like her basket. Jensen checked in for All-American Hannah Hidalgo and was given some advice from teammates on the bench — if you’re open, they all told her, shoot it. Don’t think. Don’t worry. Just. Shoot.
“Just do it,” Jensen said. “That was my mentality. When I saw the opportunity, I just took it.”
Took it and ran with it and made it. What was the moment like?
“The energy is insane from all the fans,” Jensen said. “When I made that shot, it was so cool.”
Jensen admitted that she had yet to watch the shot on her phone. That would come later in the day and likely into the night. Maybe all night. Would Jensen even sleep after what had happened?
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ll try my best.”
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact Noie at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: One Shining Moment for one Notre Dame women's basketball walk-on guard
Continue reading...
