Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo accomplishes jaw-dropping feat vs. USC
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Notre Dame freshman Hannah Hidalgo had a record-setting game in the Fighting Irish’s 74-61 victory over No. 3 USC at the Galen Center in Los Angeles on Sunday. Hidalgo notched 24 points, eight assists, six rebounds and five steals, marking her 10th career game achieving at least 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals—the most by any Division I player over the last 25 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Info, via Alexa Philippou of ESPN.
Notre Dame controlled the game from start to finish, handing the Trojans their first loss of the season in front of a sold-out crowd of 7,894. The win also marked Notre Dame's first double-digit road victory over an Associated Press top-five opponent since 2014. The Irish solidified their position as a national contender with their defense and gameplay, particularly from Hidalgo and fellow guard Olivia Miles.
Hidalgo and Miles became the first pair of teammates in over 15 years to each tally 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in a single game against a top-10 opponent. Miles finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, dominating the second half with 14 points, including three consecutive three-pointers.
Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey praised Hidalgo's performance.
"Big-time player, big-time stage," Ivey said, per Philippou. "Not at all shocked by what she did today. Her energy is contagious, and it sets the tone for our entire team."
Loss to Notre Dame women’s basketball a ‘learning experience’ for Trojans
USC struggled offensively, shooting 1-for-13 from beyond the arc and committing 21 turnovers. JuJu Watkins, the Trojans' standout guard, was held to just five points in the first half but finished with 24 points on 10-for-25 shooting.
“I think for me, the biggest thing is just staying poised and under control the whole game. It wasn’t the prettiest for me, so just continuing to lock in,” Watkins said.
USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb acknowledged her team's shortcomings, calling the game a learning experience.
“When it’s hard, it gets harder for everyone to block everything out and stick together. But that is what we will do,” Gottlieb said. “We knew this is unprecedented in terms of expectations, and so bring it on. We’ve got to get better, no matter what the outside world says. And this is what this game will do for us, and that’s the direction that we’ll go.”
The win propels Notre Dame women’s basketball into a tough stretch of games against ranked opponents, including TCU, Texas and UConn. Meanwhile, USC will regroup ahead of matchups with Oregon and UConn as it navigates its inaugural season in the Big Ten.
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