Just three days after scoring 30 points in a 77-61 dismantling of Virginia Tech, the Irish’s Hannah Hidalgo popped off again on Sunday, with 34 points in an 89-71 victory against the Cardinals.
Photo via Notre Dame Athletics
Notre Dame got hot early and began the game on a 20-6 run in the first 6:27 of the first quarter. Louisville somewhat found a rhythm as they managed to shrink their deficit to 22-13 after the Irish’s Liatu King sunk a buzzer-beater to end the quarter. Hidalgo led all scorers with nine points including a three, as the Irish dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Cardinals 16-3 in the first ten minutes.
Louisville made things interesting in the second quarter as they went on multiple runs to get themselves back in the contest. Two separate 8-0 runs between 9:08-4:59 put the Cardinals in front 29-28. After this, it was a back-and-forth affair for the rest of the quarter with both teams trading points until a Hidalgo two-point jumper with 23 seconds left gave the Irish a 39-38 lead heading into the half. Louisville’s Tajianna Roberts was the leader of the Cardinals' second-quarter surge, leading the way with 11 points as they outscored the Irish 25-17 in the ten-minute period. Hidalgo added another nine points including five free throws to bump her total to 18 first-half points.
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The Irish came out of the break and dominated the Cardinals. Notre Dame outscored the opposition 50-33 in the second half to stamp their 14th straight victory. Three Irish scorers cracked double digits in the half (Hidalgo-16, King-12, Olivia Miles-12). Notably, King and Miles were perfect from the field in the second half. Hidalgo’s 34 points are a new season-high for the sophomore guard and are one short of matching her career-high.
Upcoming, Notre Dame looks to extend their winning streak as they host Stanford on Thursday evening and California on Saturday afternoon.
Key Player Stats:
Hannah Hidalgo (ND): 34 points (12-22 FGs, 8-8 FTs), 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, +17
Liatu King (ND): 16 points (8-9 FGs), 12 rebounds, +18
Key Team Stats:
Field Goal Percentage: ND (55%) - LOU (36%)
Free Throw Percentage: ND (85%) - LOU (76%)
Total Rebounds: ND (44) - LOU (29)
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