“Baller alert”: Fans celebrate Hannah Hidalgo as Notre Dame star beats Jewell Loyd, Arike Ogunbowale and more for historic feat
Notre Dame sophomore star Hannah Hidalgo has rewritten the record books once again. The guard scored her 1,000th career point against Syracuse on Sunday in just her 44th game, beating the previous school record of 60 games held by Beth Morgan in the mid-1990s.
Hidalgo is now the fastest Notre Dame player to reach the 1,000-point mark, ahead of WNBA stars Jewell Loyd and Arike Ogunbowale.
Fans congratulated her online.
"Baller alert. Notre Dame sophomore Hannah Hidalgo collected her 1,000th point. She accomplished the feat in her 44th career game, the fastest in @ndwbb history. Congrats, @HannahHidalgo #LatinaExcellence" Latino outfit 'Our Esquina' tweeted.
"HER," one fan commented.
"🔥🔥🔥" another wrote.
After the game, Hildago expressed her gratitude for being in the same conversations as Loyd and Ogunbowale.
“It’s truly a blessing to be able to reach that goal considering all of the guards like Arike, Skylar (Diggins-Smith), Jewell that have come through this program,” she said. “I’m honored to have this accolade.”
Hannah Hidalgo leads Fighting Irish to win over Syracuse Orange
Hannah Hidalgo and the 10th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish started their ACC campaign strong with a dominant 93-62 victory on the road against the Syracuse Orange.
Following an intense 80-70 overtime win against No. 5 Texas on Thursday and with a showdown against No. 2 UConn up next, the noon tipoff against a dangerous 4-5 Syracuse team had the potential to pose a challenge.
Despite a sluggish start, the Fighting Irish found their rhythm, dominating the final three quarters to secure the win. Hidalgo delivered an impressive performance overall, recording 24 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey made sure her team was ready for the challenge.
“I talked a lot about making sure we were prepared and ready,” she said. “We didn’t get a chance to have that many days to prepare, but they knew the focus. I was very intentional (Saturday) with practice and film. They had Friday off to recover, and I think they did a great job.
“I think we’ve learned a lot this season. I know what this group needs, and I try to make sure practice and our preparation is preparing us for short turnarounds like today.”
Hannah Hidalgo and the Fighting Irish will take the court again next on Thursday, when they host UConn in the 2024 Shamrock Classic.