SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Hannah Hidalgo turned in the single-greatest individual performance in Notre Dame history in Wednesday’s 85-58 win over Akron, breaking the program records for points in a game with 44 and steals in a game with 16 while also grabbing nine rebounds.
Hidalgo’s 16 steals are not only the program record, passing her own mark of 12, but also the NCAA D-I all-time record for steals in a single game which was previously 14 and held by seven players.
To make the performance even more impressive, Hidalgo logged just 27:31 of game action in the victory. The junior was efficient in her scoring, finishing 16-for-25 from the field, 3-for-6 from beyond the arc and 9-for-11 from the free-throw line.
Cassandre Prosper joined Hidalgo in double figures with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Notre Dame wasted no time in building an early lead, jumping out to an early 14-4 advantage behind swarming defense that led to easy layups on the other end. Hidalgo registered four steals in the opening five minutes of action leading to eight quick points.
The Irish increased the lead to 13 by the end of the first frame, taking a 25-12 advantage into the second quarter. Hidalgo led the charge with 14 points, five rebounds, five steals and two assists in the opening 10 minutes of action.
Hidalgo continued her incredible run of play, scoring Notre Dame’s first 14 points of the second quarter, totaling 28 in the first half.
Iyana Moore started to find her rhythm in her first game with the Irish, scoring five points in the final stages of the second quarter, as Notre Dame took a 14-point lead into the halftime break at 48-34.
Notre Dame came out of the intermission and continued to build on its lead, outscoring the Zips 22-11 in the third quarter to take a commanding 70-45 lead into the final frame.
The Irish added 15 points over the last 10 minutes of regulation, paced by Prosper’s eight-point fourth quarter, to go on and win by a final score of 85-58.
NOTRE DAME STAT OF THE GAME
Hidalgo’s 44 points breaks the program record for points in a game which was previously shared by Ruth Riley (41: Jan. 30, 1999 vs. Providence) and Jewell Loyd (41: Dec. 10, 2014 vs. DePaul). The 44-point performance also sets the Purcell Pavilion record which was previously held by Jessica Shepard (39: Dec. 17, 2017 vs. DePaul). Hidalgo is the first D-I women’s player this season to crack the 40-point mark this season.NOTRE DAME NUMBERS & NOTES
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Notre Dame has started 3-0 for the fourth time in the last five seasons.
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Notre Dame has scored 299 points over three games, which is tied for the most points through the opening three games of any season in program history (2024-25).
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The 30 steals as a team rank second in program history for most steals in a single game.
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The Irish improve to 2-0 against Akron in the all-time series
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The win gives the Fighting Irish 17 straight victories at home in non-conference regular season play.
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The Irish have recorded double-digit steals in all three games this season.
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The 30-steal performance is the most the Irish have posted in a game since recording a program-record 36 against New Hampshire on Nov. 12, 2010.
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ND has recorded 10 or more steals in 47-of-72 games since the beginning of the 2023-24 season.
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Hidalgo has posted 25+ points in three consecutive games for the second time in her career. She scored 25+ in four straight from Dec. 12-29, 2024 last season.
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Tonight’s performance marks the third time that Hidalgo has posted back-to-back 30+ point performances in her career.
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Hidalgo has now recorded 11 career 30+ point games, tying her with Arike Ogunbowale for most in program history.
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Hidalgo broke into the top 10 in program history for career free throws made, as she now has 370 in her career, passing Jacqueline Batteast (366) for 10th all time.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Irish go on the road for the first time this season for the annual Shamrock Classic with a ranked matchup against rival No. 14 Michigan in Detroit. The game is slated to tip at 4 p.m. ET and will air on NBC.
