It was obvious coming into this women’s college basketball season that Hannah Hidalgo was going to have to score more for Notre Dame. She was the lone starter returning for the Irish this year following high-profile departures to the WNBA and the transfer portal.
On Wednesday night in South Bend though, Hidalgo showed just how lethal of a scorer she could be.
The junior guard poured in 44 points in Notre Dame’s 85-58 home win over Akron, resetting the Irish’s single-game scoring record. It was previously jointly held by Jewell Loyd and Ruth Riley at 41 points.
Perhaps more impressively, Hidalgo swiped the ball away from Akron 16 times, which broke the NCAA single-game record for a Division I player. Previously, multiple players had notched 14 steals, including Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Ticha Penicheiro of Old Dominion.
It was an all-around historic performance for Hidalgo, who also collected nine rebounds and four assists. She shot 16-of-25 from the floor while powering Notre Dame to a victory, and did it all in just 28 minutes of play.
The two-time All-American, two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and reigning ACC Player of the Year is quickly reestablishing herself as one of the sport’s brightest stars. Many are skeptical that Notre Dame can recreate the same sort of success it had last season — with players like Olivia Miles, Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld starring alongside Hidalgo — but the New Jersey native seems to be thriving on proving the doubters wrong.
“I grew up the underdog. Surprising people is always good,” Hidalgo told SB Nation in October. “Honestly, we believe in ourselves, and we believe in our coaching staff.”
Cassandre Prosper was the only other member of the Fighting Irish to score in double figures against Akron, netting 14 points.
Ranked 18th in the latest AP Top 25 Poll, Notre Dame will face its biggest test yet on Saturday when it takes on No. 14 Michigan in Detroit. It’ll be another opportunity for Hidalgo to shine in the spotlight of a nationally-televised game on NBC.
