Notre Dame vs Ohio State: Round of 32 Preview
- Erich Pilcher
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
We are in the throes of madness! The Women’s Division 1 NCAA Basketball Tournament is underway and a consistent staple; the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have moved onto the round of 32 by defeating Fairfield 79-60 behind all-world junior Hannah Hidalgo’s near quadruple double.
Photo via Notre Dame Athletics
In the next round, the Irish will take on the 3rd-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes, and the game will be played at their home arena. Since a loss to Virginia on February 8th, the Irish have won eight out of nine games (their only loss in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Semifinals against eventual champion Duke) and appear to be primed for a run.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Any conversation about the Fighting Irish starts and begins with perennial National Player of the Year Candidate, Junior Guard Hannah Hidalgo. She has won back-to-back ACC Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year. She averages 25.2 points per game (PPG), 6.5 Rebounds Per Game (RPG), 5.3 Assists Per Game (APG), and 5.5 Steals Per Game (SPG). Hidalgo has done all of this while shooting 47.8% from the field. As the season has progressed, her supporting cast has come alive.
Since the loss to Virginia, Senior Guard Cassandre Prosper has come alive. She is averaging 10.8 points per game during that stretch and has allowed the Irish to space the floor more and give Hidalgo room to operate. Key contributors to the Irish are Senior KK Bransford, and transfers Vanessa de Jesus and Malaya Cowles.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes are a very complete team. They are led by two dynamic Guards, Sophomore Jaloni Cambridge (averaging 22.7 PPG) and Senior T’yanna Todd. They also have a potent frontcourt with Forwards Kylee Kitts, Ella Hobbs, and Center Elsa Lemmila.
Much like the Irish, they play a high-pressure defense that creates turnovers. This allows them to get easy transition baskets. The exception is that the Irish rely on the backcourt to get turnovers. The Buckeyes can generate them from any position on the floor.
Notre Dame Keys to Victory
It must be the "Hannah Hidalgo Show." The Irish have relied on contributions from others during the recent late-season surge. However, this game needs to have Hidalgo's fingerprints all over it with a performance like their first-round game against Fairfield. A downfall for the Irish this season has been their depth. Deep teams have been able to wear them down. Playing an up-tempo, transition team, such as Ohio State, Notre Dame needs to force their pace on the Buckeyes. Teams have been able to expose Ohio State in the half-court. If Notre Dame can do that and spread the floor, Hidalgo should get some nice one-on-one opportunities. This will also allow her teammates to get involved and spread out the Buckeyes. This could also create foul trouble for the Buckeyes, who are not necessarily deep, although they are deeper than the Irish.
Ohio State Keys to Victory
As important as Hidalgo having a monster game is for Notre Dame, it is much more imperative for the Buckeyes to stop that. Hidalgo is everything for the Irish; they go as she goes. When she gets going, it frees up others to operate, and Notre Dame becomes very hard to stop. Ohio State must impose its will early. Get the home crowd into the game, force turnovers, make Hidalgo uncomfortable, and use their size advantage to make the Irish go into an almost nonexistent bench. If they can get out and run early, force the Irish to play their game, then they should pull out the win.
Prediction
This is a classic battle of wills. Ohio State's up-tempo transition game versus the Irish high-pressure half-court game. This could end up being one of the best games of the second round. When teams are this closely matched, I look at the stars, and there are not many better than Hidalgo. I think Ohio State can contain her for stretches. However, a key in this run for the Irish has been Hidalgo's ability to facilitate when she is not getting free offensively. I think that happens here. I look for Prosper, de Jesus, and Bransford to keep the Irish in the game until Hidalgo finds a groove. Then I predict she takes over and leads the Irish to the upset victory and a Sweet Sixteen berth.
Final Score: Notre Dame 68, Ohio State 62
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