The Notre Dame Women’s Basketball team isn’t a team that’s likely to slip (even a little bit) as it takes on some of these smaller programs early in the season. On Tuesday night, Notre Dame did what was expected — and more.
No. 13 Irish Show No Mercy in 108-60 Win
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – No. 13 Notre Dame women’s basketball opened the night with a 22-0 run and scored 32 of the game’s first 36 points en route to a commanding 108-60 victory over Detroit Mercy, improving to 3-0 on the season.
The Irish dominated in the paint, totaling 62 points inside
while shooting 59.4% from the field. Six players finished in double figures, led by Hannah Hidalgo’s 23 points and Anaya Hardy’s career-high 21.
Fresh off earning her 15th ACC Player of the Week honor, Hidalgo recorded her second double-double of the season with 23 points and 10 rebounds, adding five assists and two steals. The senior guard went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line and now holds the Notre Dame program record with 566 career makes.
Reigning ACC Freshman of the Week Jacy Abii continued her impressive start to her Notre Dame career, filling the stat sheet with 12 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, four steals and three blocks.
Madison St. Rose contributed a season-high 19 points and seven rebounds, while Leah Macy added 17 points and five steals. Jenica Lewis chipped in 12 points off the bench, knocking down a pair of three-pointers while adding four rebounds and four assists.
Defensively, the Irish set the tone from the opening tip, holding Detroit Mercy to just 31.4% shooting from the field and limiting the Titans to four points in the opening quarter.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Notre Dame scored eight quick points in the first minute and 47 seconds, getting out and running early behind a pair of steals and two fastbreak layups to force an early Detroit Mercy timeout.
The Irish opened up 8/11 from the field, scoring the game’s first 22 points before the Titans got on the board with a free throw after a 5:50 scoreless drought. The lead was extended to 30-1 before the first Detroit Mercy field goal of the game with 1:17 left in the first quarter.
Notre Dame led 32-4 after the first quarter, the largest point differential in the first quarter in the Karen & Kevin Keyes Family Head Women’s Basketball Coach Niele Ivey era. The Irish held the Titans to a mere 1/15 from the field. Anaya Hardy led the way for the Irish with nine points and four rebounds in the opening quarter, followed closely by Madison St. Rose’s seven points. Hannah Hidalgo tallied six points, four rebounds and two assists in the game’s first 10 minutes.
Hidalgo came out firing in the second quarter, scoring a quick six points as Notre Dame scored 11 of the first 13 second quarter points to push the lead to 43-6 early in the frame.
Both teams exchanged buckets to close the half, as Notre Dame led 56-21 at the break. Hidalgo tallied a first half double-double, leading all scorers with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Hardy added 13 points while St. Rose chipped in 12 to join Hidalgo in double figures at halftime.
Notre Dame opened the second half hitting five of its first six shots, all in the paint. The Irish led 70-29 at the media timeout in the third quarter.
Hidalgo was a regular presence at the charity stripe, where she made history midway through the third quarter by sinking her 564th career free throw and passing Skylar Diggins for the program record.
Notre Dame led 83-37 after three, shooting a blistering 69.2% from the field and knocking down nine free throws. Leah Macy scored seven in the quarter as six different Irish contributed points in the third quarter.
Early in the fourth quarter, Hardy secured her fifth offensive rebound and converted the putback for her 21st point of the night. The basket marked her first career 20-point performance as the Detroit, Michigan, native helped extend Notre Dame’s lead to 93-44.
A couple minutes later, Macy snatched her fifth steal, throwing it ahead to Hidalgo who laid it in off the glass as the Irish crossed the century mark, leading 101-49 with 4:52 left in the game before closing the game with a 48 point victory, 108-60.
UP NEXT
The Irish head to the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, for the SoFi Shamrock Classic matchup against DePaul on Saturday, Nov. 14. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
