Hidalgo’s Stellar Performance Leads Notre Dame Past Louisville

In a commanding display, No. 3 Notre Dame overcame Louisville with a decisive 89-71 victory on Sunday, showcasing the exceptional talent of Hannah Hidalgo, who notched a season-high 34 points. Her contributions were particularly impactful during the third quarter, where she scored 12 points, enabling the Fighting Irish (19-2, 10-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) to stretch their lead from a narrow 39-38 at halftime to a more comfortable 65-54 by the end of the quarter.

Notre Dame initially surged ahead with an impressive 12-0 scoring run in the first quarter, establishing a 20-6 advantage with just over three minutes remaining. However, Louisville (15-7, 8-3) fought back valiantly, mounting a 16-3 run in the second quarter, capped by Tajianna Roberts’ three-pointer, which put them ahead 29-28 midway through the period.

In addition to Hidalgo’s standout performance, Olivia Miles contributed 17 points, while Liatu King delivered a strong game with 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting, along with 12 rebounds. On the opposing side, Roberts led the Cardinals with 17 points, while Olivia Cochran and Jayda Curry added 14 and 12 points, respectively.

Despite the significant margin of victory for Notre Dame, the game revealed the hard-fought nature behind their 14-game winning streak. They only started to pull away decisively in the fourth quarter when their lead peaked at 87-64 with 3:40 remaining.

For Louisville, the loss continued their struggles against ranked opponents, leaving them with a disappointing 1-6 record against teams in the AP Top 25. They face a challenging schedule ahead, with the potential for up to five more games against ranked teams in their remaining seven regular-season matchups.

A pivotal moment in the game came late in the third quarter when Louisville found themselves trailing by just three points at 50-47. However, they were unable to convert on their next five attempts, allowing Notre Dame to finish the quarter strong by making their final six shots.

One of the game’s key statistics highlighted Notre Dame’s dominance in the paint, where they outscored Louisville 46-30, a crucial factor in their victory.

Looking ahead, Notre Dame is set to host Stanford on Thursday, marking the first meeting between the two programs since the Irish’s victory in the 2019 Elite Eight. Meanwhile, Louisville will take on No. 19 California at home on the same day.