Did Hannah Hidalgo's Stellar Performance Propel Notre Dame Fighting Irish Past North Carolina Tar Heels?

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish secured a decisive victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels with a final score of 73-50. This win improved the Fighting Irish's record to 1-0, while the Tar Heels fell to 0-1.

First Quarter

The game began with both teams showing strong defensive plays. The Fighting Irish took an early lead, scoring 15 points compared to the Tar Heels' 9. Hannah Hidalgo was instrumental in this quarter, contributing significantly on both ends of the court.

Second Quarter

In the second quarter, both teams matched each other's scoring efforts with 18 points apiece. Cassandre Prosper made her presence felt by grabbing crucial rebounds and adding points for Notre Dame. The team's field goal percentage stood at an impressive 44 percent by halftime.

Third Quarter

Notre Dame surged ahead in the third quarter, outscoring North Carolina by a margin of 22-5. This period saw Hidalgo continue her dominant performance, showcasing her ability to steal and assist effectively. Her contribution was pivotal as she led all players with a total of seven steals and six assists throughout the game.

Fourth Quarter

Despite a late push from North Carolina in which they scored another 18 points, it wasn't enough to overcome Notre Dame's lead established earlier in the game. The Fighting Irish maintained their composure and added another set of 18 points themselves during this final stretch.

Notre Dame's defense played a crucial role throughout, forcing turnovers that translated into fast break opportunities resulting in easy baskets for them—15 fast break points were recorded against just four from their opponents.

Post-game thoughts from Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach highlighted satisfaction with his team's defensive intensity and execution on offense which led them comfortably past their ranked opponents without any major hiccups or foul troubles affecting key players like KK Bransford who also contributed solidly across various stats categories including rebounds (8) alongside Prosper’s double-double effort (17 pts &14 rebs).

Looking forward: Fans can catch up next when they host Louisville Cardinals at Purcell Pavilion scheduled January15th @6:00PM EST broadcasted live via ACC Network! Share your excitement about these upcoming matchups!