Ohio State went on an 11-0 run against Notre Dame in the NCAA tournament on Monday.
But the Fighting Irish have one weapon the Buckeyes can’t counter: Hannah Hidalgo.
Notre Dame recovered from Ohio State’s opening possession to tie the game at 24. From there, Hidalgo provided the rhythm for the Fighting Irish on both sides of the court, en route to an 83-63 upset victory.
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With the win, the sixth-seeded Irish advance to the Sweet 16. The third-seeded Buckeyes’ season ended earlier than expected.
Hidalgo did it all. The three-time All-American and NCAA steal champion came just shy of a triple-double in steals while also setting a career high in rebounds. She finished the game with 26 points, 13 rebounds, 8 steals and 2 assists. This is her ninth consecutive 20-point game.
Ohio State’s Jaloni Cambridge scored a career-high 41 points and grabbed seven rebounds. But the effort didn’t stem Hidalgo’s tide.
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Hidalgo had eight steals in Saturday’s win over Fairfield and now has 16 in the NCAA tournament. With 189 steals, she was five seconds away from breaking the NCAA single-season record of 193 steals. With 5.5 steals per game, she’s on track to break that mark in the Sweet 16.
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Hidalgo fouled out with 40.2 seconds left in the game and the game was decided, giving her a well-deserved curtain call and congratulations from the Notre Dame bench.
The Fighting Irish are likely to be at a disadvantage in any upcoming tournament games. But they will have an advantage in Hidalgo that few teams can match.
This story will be updated.
