Notre Dame Beats UConn in a Top 10 Showdown
The Notre Dame Women’s Basketball team defeated the UConn women’s team 79-68 in a matchup of perennial championship contenders. Hannah Hidalgo made the biggest impact on the game and was unguardable all night. The sophomore finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. This was Notre Dame’s third win of the season against a top-five opponent; they already have victories over USC, Texas in the ACC/SEC Challenge, and now the second-ranked Huskies. Hidalgo has averaged 27.7 points, eight rebounds, and 6.7 assists in top 10 matchups so far this season and is emerging as the early favorite to win National Player of the Year.
The eighth-ranked Irish, 8-2, could score at will against the Huskies, 8-1, who had their worst defensive performance of the season. Notre Dame forced 13 turnovers and forced UConn’s best player, Paige Bueckers, to work for every shot. Bueckers finished with 25 points but had to take 20 shots to get there. She was the Huskies' only 20-point scorer as the Irish seemed to take everyone else out of the game, including five-star freshman Sarah Strong, who finished with 14 points. Strong has been a dominant freshman this season; however, she could not consistently take advantage of the size difference she had against the Notre Dame frontcourt. UConn was also without one of their best three-point shooters, Azzi Fudd. The potential number three pick in the WNBA Draft was held out with a sprained knee.
Hidalgo, who also leads the country in steals with four a game, had three on the night and picked up for her All-American teammate Olivia Miles, who suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter and was in and out of the game. Miles, who is top 10 in the country in assists, finished the game with 16 points and four assists. The Irish were able to get other contributions from Liatu King. King finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds, making her presence felt in the paint and mid-range. She was the Most Improved Player in the ACC last year for Pittsburgh and has found her footing on her new team. Sonia Citron, known for her three-point prowess, got the assignment of guarding Bueckers for most of the game and held her own on that end.
This was another exhilarating chapter in the rivalry between the former Big East foes. This matchup secured another win to an already impressive resume for Notre Dame. This was the last big-time matchup for the Irish before they start league play in two weeks. UConn will have other opportunities to get big wins with matchups scheduled against Iowa State, USC, and South Carolina. Both teams will be in the mix for the National Championship this season, and based on ESPN’s latest “Bracketology,” they could face each other again in the Final Four.
