Hannah Hidalgo delivered a performance for the ages Wednesday night, shattering both the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and NCAA Division I records in an 85-58 demolition of Akron. The junior guard's historic outing signals the Fighting Irish are serious contenders in a wide-open race for their first national title since 2001.
Hidalgo finished with 44 points, the most in a single game in Notre Dame history, while her 16 steals broke the Division I record that had stood since steals were fully tracked beginning in the 1987-88 season, as reported by Alexa Philippou of ESPN.
The 5-foot-6 guard was relentless from the opening tip. She poured in 28 first-half points and personally sparked Notre Dame's decisive runs, scoring the team's first 12 points of the second quarter. Her defensive pressure forced chaos all night as the Fighting Irish turned 38 Akron turnovers into 41 points.
Hidalgo added nine rebounds and four assists while shooting 16-of-25 from the field in just 28 minutes. Her efficiency matched her volume as Notre Dame built a 48-34 halftime lead and cruised home with a 70-45 advantage after three quarters.
The record-breaking night came on the heels of Hidalgo earning Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week honors. Through three games, she's averaging 34.3 points on 55.7 percent shooting, picking up exactly where she left off after sweeping ACC Player and Defensive Player of the Year awards last season.
Head coach Niele Ivey has Notre Dame rolling early despite significant roster turnover. The Irish lost former star Olivia Miles to Texas Christian University through the transfer portal, along with several other key contributors. But Ivey, who recently earned a USA Basketball gold medal as a U19 World Cup assistant coach, has the program positioned for another deep run.
The sixth-year head coach owns a 117-38 record with four straight Sweet 16 appearances. Now 3-0 and riding a historic performance from their superstar guard, the Fighting Irish look ready to take the next step in March.
