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On paper, No. 2 UConn versus No. 8 Notre Dame was as hyped as a regular season college game can be, and it did not disappoint. In the end, the Fighting Irish were just a bit better than the Huskies, beating them 79-68 at home.
For Notre Dame, it was all about Hannah Hidalgo. The sophomore sensation scored 29 points, had 10 rebounds and eight assists—only two dimes shy of a triple double. She shot 8-for-17 from the field, hitting six 3-pointers. Hidalgo will get some well-deserved flowers, but she didn’t do it alone. Liatu King was big in the post with a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing a team-high 12 rebounds, and Olivia Miles had 16 in the win.
UConn won’t be pleased with the result, but they played well. Paige Bueckers kept them in the game, scoring 25 points on 11-for-20 shooting, and freshman Sarah Strong stepped up with 14 points.
How Hidalgo and the Irish proved unstoppable
From the opening quarter, Notre Dame established this was their house, and they were in control. Miles started the scoring with a 3-pointer, and the Fighting Irish never trailed in the opening frame. Hidalgo was hot from the jump as well, hitting back-to-back 3s as part of a 9-0 run by Notre Dame to close out the quarter and lead 18-12 after ten minutes of play.
In the second quarter, the Fighting Irish remained in control, but the Huskies stayed within striking distance. Bueckers scored four-straight points early in the second to cut the deficit down to five, but the Irish countered with a 7-0 run to bring the lead back up to double digits.
Hidalgo went on another scoring burst in the closing minutes of the half, scoring five-straight points and assisting King with another bucket to enter the half up 39-26. At the break, Hidalgo already put up stats that looked good for the end of a game: 17 points, five assists and eight rebounds.
Midway through the third quarter, UConn made its push. The trio of Bueckers, Strong and KK Arnold all scored to bring the Huskies within two points with 1:23 left to play in the period. Hidalgo, however, had other plans and hit back-to-back 3-pointers to regain control and give Notre Dame a four-point edge entering the fourth.
The Fighting Irish scored the first six points in the fourth quarter, and suddenly, the Huskies were competing against Notre Dame—and the clock.
Bueckers kept scoring, keeping her team close enough to have some hope in pulling off the comeback, but Notre Dame never let them become a serious threat the rest of the way. After another 6-0 run by Notre Dame, the lead was up to a dozen with 90 seconds left, and that all but ended the game. Both teams exchanged baskets the rest of the way, and the upset was officially complete when the clock struck zero. Notre Dame got the 79-69 win, their third-straight over UConn.
Key takeaways
If you were skeptical before, this game should end any doubts regarding how good Notre Dame truly is. This is Notre Dame’s third victory against a top-five ranked team, and each one has been more impressive than the last. Hidalgo is making an argument as the best player in the country, and with a balanced inside-out game, Notre Dame is a team no opponent wants to face right now.
For UConn, they didn’t get enough from all players not named Bueckers. Yes, Azzi Fudd is out with a knee injury, but even in her absence, they need more from their core versus the best teams if they want to win their first national title since 2016. The good news for the Huskies is that there is still time to learn and regroup. Although their undefeated streak ends after nine games, their main goal remains very much alive.
Both teams return to their home courts on Sunday, with Notre Dame meeting Eastern Michigan and UConn facing Georgetown.
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