Syracuse, N.Y. — In an impressive display, Sonia Citron scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while teammate Hannah Hidalgo contributed 24 points and 10 rebounds as No. 10 Notre Dame triumphed over Syracuse with a score of 93-62 in the opening match of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) on Sunday.

Olivia Miles also made significant contributions for Notre Dame (7-2, 1-0 ACC), scoring 20 points and securing 10 rebounds. The Fighting Irish’s solid defense limited Syracuse to a shooting percentage of just 32% throughout the game.

For Syracuse (4-6, 0-1 ACC), Keira Scott was the standout player, putting up 16 points, supported by Sophie Burrows who added 13 points to the tally.

After Georgia Wooley’s layup narrowed the deficit to eight points for the Orange late in the third quarter, Notre Dame responded decisively with an 18-2 scoring run that allowed them to widen their lead significantly. By the conclusion of the third quarter, the Irish had established a commanding 65-40 advantage and continued to build on it, even pushing the score to 87-54 with less than four minutes remaining in the game.

Notre Dame dominated the second half, outscoring Syracuse 57-33. Earlier in the matchup, Syracuse briefly took the lead at 24-23, following a Scott layup just over a minute into the second quarter. However, they struggled offensively, failing to score for five consecutive minutes, allowing Notre Dame to pull ahead with an 8-0 run and finishing the first half with a 36-29 lead.

Key Observations:

For Notre Dame, the game highlighted the need to improve ball security, as they recorded 20 turnovers that could be troubling against more competitive teams.

Syracuse demonstrated resilience and potential in their ability to keep pace with a ranked opponent, at least during the first half of the game.

Highlight of the Game:

Hidalgo’s timely three-pointer acted as the catalyst for Notre Dame’s decisive offensive surge midway through the third quarter, gaining crucial momentum for her team.

Career Achievement:

Hidalgo marked a career milestone by surpassing 1,000 career points with her three-pointer at the 6:06 mark of the third quarter. Remarkably, she achieved this in only 44 games, a feat that previously took Beth Morgan 60 games to accomplish.

Looking Ahead:

Notre Dame will prepare to host No. 2 UConn in a highly anticipated matchup on Thursday, while Syracuse will be on the road against Binghamton on December 18.