Notre Dame Topples SMU 88-63; Hidalgo Shines in Birthday Performance
- Brenden Duffy
- 9 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Notre Dame secured their third straight win on Sunday, toppling the SMU Mustangs 88-63 in Dallas, headlined by another sensational performance from Hannah Hidalgo.
Photo via Notre Dame Athletics
Notre Dame (17-9; 9-6) entered SMU (9-18; 2-13) on a two-game win streak with the regular season’s end rapidly approaching. During the game, Hidalgo spent her 21st birthday doing what she does: Hooping. The Irish star finished the game with 31 points, 11 steals, and was just one rebound shy of a triple-double in the rout. As a team, Notre Dame’s 53% shooting from the field and 44% from three mixed with lockdown defense was too much for the Mustangs to handle.
SMU kicked off a high-scoring first quarter with a 5-0 run initiated by a game-opening three from Ayanna Thompson. The Irish responded with a 7-0 run led by Cassandre Prosper to take a two-point advantage just over three minutes into the game. After a little back-and-forth, Hidalgo and Iyana Moore led the Irish on a 9-0 stretch that pushed Notre Dame’s lead to 18-11 with 4:04 remaining in the quarter. The two squads continued going at it for the final four minutes, with Notre Dame just outscoring the Mustangs 11-9 to secure a 29-20 lead heading into the second quarter. Moore had a big first 10 minutes, leading all scorers with an efficient 10 points, including two made threes across three attempts.
Following a pair of made free throws by Hidalgo to open the second frame, SMU was able to string together a quick 5-0 burst capped by a three from Grace Hall, which cut the Irish lead to six, 31-25, just under two minutes into the quarter. The Mustangs refused to go away, keeping the game within single digits until the final two minutes. That is when Hidalgo turned up, swiping two steals and tallying a quick four points to give the Irish a 44-34 advantage heading into the half. Hidalgo entered the break with a game-high five steals and was tied with Moore for a team-high 12 points.
Notre Dame shut down and erased any life inside of SMU’s Moody Coliseum in the third quarter, outscoring the Mustangs 30-15 in the frame that featured separate 8-0 and 9-0 runs by the Irish. Offensively, the visitors shot 11-14 from the field, including 4-6 from three in an impressive effort. Seven different players scored for the Irish in the quarter, with Hidalgo’s eight points leading the way. Hidalgo also recorded all five of Notre Dame’s steals in the third to give her a 20-point, 10-steal double-double through 28 minutes played. The Irish wrapped up the third quarter with a 74-49 lead following a dominant 10 minutes.
The final quarter saw the scoring slow down a bit, but Hidalgo opened the first four minutes of the fourth on a 5-0 run by herself. Her layup off a shot clock violation by SMU pushed the Irish lead to a game-high 30 points, 79-49, with 6:32 on the clock. The Mustangs were able to close the game on a 14-9 stretch, but to no avail as Notre Dame locked up the 88-63 road win. Hidalgo scored 11 of the Irish’s 14 fourth-quarter points, shooting 5-6 in the frame.
Notre Dame improves their record to 18-9 overall and 10-6 in ACC play with just two regular-season games remaining. Up next, the Irish host Syracuse (21-6; 11-5) for senior night at Purcell Pavilion on Thursday.
Irish Stars
Hannah Hidalgo: 31 points (11-18 FGs), 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 11 steals, +28, 38 minutes played
Iyana Moore: 20 points (8-13 FGs, 4-8 3FGs), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, +23, 38 minutes played
Gisela Sanchez: 10 points (4-7 FGs, 2-3 3FGs), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal, 19 minutes played
Key Team Stats
Field Goal Percentage: ND (53%) - SMU (40%)
Three Point Percentage: ND (44%) - SMU (43%)
Free Throw Percentage: SMU (73%) - ND (67%)
Bench Points: ND (16) - SMU (4)
Points in the Paint: ND (42) - SMU (24)
Steals: ND (18) - SMU (6)
Blocks: ND (4) - SMU (2)
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