The Irish Women’s Basketball team returned to South Bend following a three-game road trip and delivered an amazing all-around performance in a 96-47 win versus Stanford on Thursday.
Photo via Notre Dame Athletics
Notre Dame played well in the first quarter, jumping out an early 17-8 lead in the first ten minutes. Olivia Miles led the Irish offense with five points including a three. However, their defense was the highlight of the quarter as they forced ten Stanford turnovers which led to 11 Irish points.
The second quarter was arguably the best ten minutes this Irish team has played all season as they outscored Stanford 33-7 to take a 50-15 lead into halftime. Notre Dame added nine more forced turnovers as they ended the quarter on a 24-2 run. Offensively, the Irish shot 76.5% from the field including 4-4 from three. Hannah Hidalgo led the way as she tallied nine points on perfect shooting splits and three assists in seven minutes played during the quarter. Miles shot 2-2 from three as she contributed six points bringing her game total to 11.
Stanford started showing some life in the second half but it was clear they were still outmatched for this streaking Irish squad. Notre Dame outscored the Cardinal 26-15 in the third quarter thanks to another perfect-shooting outburst from Hidalgo who poured in 11 points and two rebounds in six minutes played.
In the fourth quarter, Notre Dame outscored Stanford 20-17 to finish off a 49-point victory for the Irish. Cassandre Prosper and Liza Karlen each added five points including a three in the final quarter.
The Irish will remain in South Bend as they prepare for a Sunday afternoon battle with a top-25-ranked California Golden Bears squad.
Key Player Stats:
Hannah Hidalgo: 24 points (9-16 FGs, 5-5 FTs), 5 assists, 3 steals, +44
Olivia Miles: 20 points (4-6 3FGs, 4-4 FTs), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, +40
Liatu King: 8 points (4-7 FGs), 8 rebounds, 5 steals, +30
Sonia Citron: 9 points (4-8 FGs), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, +30
Key Team Stats:
Field Goal Percentage: ND (55%) - Stanford (31%)
Three Point Percentage: ND (53%) - Stanford (27%)
Turnovers: Stanford (29) - ND (12)
Points Off Turnovers: ND (45) - Stanford (12)
Fastbreak Points: ND (22) - Stanford (2)
Blocks: ND (6) - Stanford (1)
Steals: ND (16) - Stanford (6)
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