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No. 11 USC entered Friday’s contest against No. 24 Notre Dame as the favorites, but the Fighting Irish protected homecourt, winning 61-59.
It was a close game throughout, with eight lead changes and nine ties. Down the stretch, Notre Dame—and specifically Hannah Hidalgo—were too much for USC to handle.
Hidalgo went one-on-one against Kennedy Smith and made the winning bucket with less than two seconds remaining, despite some really solid defense from Smith. USC had one more shot at tying or winning the game, but Smith was unable to inbound the ball as Cassandre Prosper came up with the steal, putting an exclamation point on the come-from-behind win.
For Notre Dame, Hidalgo led the way with 22 points and seven rebounds. Vanessa de Jesus also had a productive night, scoring 13 points. For USC, Kara Dunn was stellar with a team-high 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting. Jazzy Davidson had 14 points and eight rebounds, along with eight turnovers.
A back-and-forth battle between the Irish and Trojans
Prosper started the scoring for this game with a jumper during the opening minute. Malia Samuels converted on a 3-pointer to give USC their first field goal, and after a Davidson jumper, USC was up 6-2 early.
Both teams exchanged baskets until Notre Dame took charge midway through the first. The Fighting Irish kept forcing the Trojans into turnovers and scoring on those possession flips.
Hidalgo went on her own 4-0 run. Then de Jesus knocked down a 3, and after another Hidalgo bucket, Notre Dame was up by five, which turned out to be their largest lead of the game. USC recuperated with back-to-back makes and trailed by just one entering the second quarter.
Hidalgo stayed hot the rest of the first half. She hit a 3 to kick off the scoring in the second. Dunn made a 3 of her own at the top of the key. Then Davidson stole the ball from Notre Dame and dished it to Samuels to give USC the lead. Basketball is a game of runs, and this quarter was filled with them on both sides. USC had a 7-0 run, Notre Dame scored five unanswered, and at halftime, both teams were separated by just two points.
Just like the second quarter, the third began for Notre Dame with a basket from Hidalgo. Dunn responded with a pair of 3-pointers, and after Davidson and Smith scored on layups, USC was in full control and ahead 43-35.
The Trojans remained in front, but the Fighting Irish made a late push, scoring six-straight points. Still, USC was in the driver’s seat, up by five with 10 minutes left to play.
Notre Dame needed another run in the fourth to get back in. They accomplished that, tacking on another four-straight points to get within one.
Smith ended the run, scoring a free throw for USC, but a Prosper layup evened things at 52. KK Bransford and Hidalgo scored for Notre Dame, and suddenly, they weren’t just back in the game; they were in front.
Davidson, who struggled throughout the game, came up big with a 3-pointer to tie the game at 57 with less than three minutes to go. However, she missed a close basket during the final minute that would’ve given USC the lead, setting up Hidalgo for her game-clinching shot.
The Irish raised their level when it mattered most
Notre Dame won for two reasons: their defense was better and their star shined brighter. Whether they were in zone, playing man or pressing, the Fighting Irish gave the Trojans problems all game long. They forced USC into 21 turnovers and held them to single digits in the fourth, sparking their comeback win.
USC has work to do. Their offense wasn’t good enough, and it’s tough to rely so much on their true freshman in Davidson. Simply put, she needs to score more for USC to beat top teams. Also, others need to step up. Londynn Jones had zero points in her 13 minutes of play. That’s an uncharacteristically bad game from her, but it is what happened, and it was a factor in the loss.
