Hannah Hidalgo Stats Tonight - How did the Notre Dame star fare vs the Golden Bears? (Mar. 7)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Hannah Hidalgo had another top-scoring performance on Friday with great efficiency across the board. Her contributions helped the ACC regular season co-champions to a conference tournament quarterfinal win over the unranked California Golden Bears by nine points, 74-63, as they now shift their focus towards the next stage.
Playing all but one minute of the tightly-contested ACC matchup, Hidalgo tallied a game-high 25 points on an efficient 9-for-15 shooting clip, four rebounds, one assist and two steals with which she routinely scored at will inside.
Hidalgo's two-way prowess was on display early as she netted a steal and then a made basket on the other end at the 8:44 mark of the first quarter. Her hustle and energy, as has been the case throughout the campaign, steered the Fighting Irish to an early edge. The sophomore's putback in the 2:39 mark then capped off the first frame with Notre Dame ahead by six, 16-10.
In the second period, Hidalgo got to the free throw line more, given that she was constantly looking to drive in the paint and score. At the 6:35 mark, the second-year sensation pulled back for her first 3-pointer. With more freebies coming Hidalgo's way coupled with the Niele Ivey-coached team's well-working game plan, Notre Dame stayed up by three, 31-28, at the end of two quarters.
To open the third quarter, Hidalgo kept at it with her intangibles, as it has led to points for the Fighting Irish. She made a jumper off a rebound then dialed up two-point baskets and a three-ball in the duration of the frame. Through this, the No. 6 team in the nation rose to the occasion for a five-point edge, 55-50, heading into the layover period.
With one more period left to play, it was an all-around effort from Hidalgo and Co. to reach the conference tournament semifinal as they were fueled by their defense. This led to the Merchantville, New Jersey native to score two lay-ins, one of which came from a steal to the fastbreak. The Fighting Irish then pulled away for the nine-point triumph, 73-64.
Check out Hannah Hidalgo's full statline from the win on Friday:
Hannah Hidalgo is a finalist for 2025 Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award
For her stellar play in the 2024-2025 regular season, Hannah Hidalgo was recently named as a top five finalist for this year's Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award on Wednesday. The 20-year-old standout's two-way skillset has turned her team's season into a successful one, which may have seemingly made its way into postseason play.
Hidalgo and the rest of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish continue with their conference tournament play in their semifinal on Saturday against the ACC No. 3 Duke Blue Devils in the same venue.