Arike Ogunbowale scored 23 points and Jessica Shepard had a double-double as Notre Dame, the No. 1 seed in the Chicago Region, began defense of its N.C.A.A. women’s basketball championship with a 92-50 victory over Bethune-Cookman at home in South Bend, Ind.
Ogunbowale hit 8 of 15 shots and added four assists and three steals for the Fighting Irish (31-3), who never trailed. Shepard, who had her 15th double-double of the season by halftime, finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds.
Brianna Turner, a 6-foot-3 forward who sat out last season’s N.C.A.A. run with an injury, contributed 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks.