After starting the season with a win, the Notre Dame women’s basketball team won its matchup with the Chicago State Cougars by a 116-58 score on Sunday. The Cougars began the season 1-1 but were facing their toughest test of the season against No. 15-ranked Notre Dame.
Notre Dame won the tip, and a layup from senior guard Cassandre Prosper gave the Irish a 2-0 lead. This early lead would hold as Notre Dame did not trail for a single second of game time. Prosper remained hot through the first quarter, shooting 100% from both the field and the line en route to 12 points in the period. By the end of the quarter, the Irish already held a 35-14 lead. Heading into the second, they did not let up, furthering the lead. At the half, Chicago State faced a monumental 62-29 deficit.
The third quarter was defined by the Irish defense as they gave up only nine points over the duration. Junior guard Hannah Hidalgo led the scoring with 12 points of her own. Entering the final quarter, Notre Dame was up 60, leading 98-38. In the fourth, Notre Dame was outscored 20-18, but it was far too little, far too late for Chicago State, and the Irish would ultimately take a 116-58 victory.
Hidalgo led all scorers in the match with 32 points. Last season, she was among the top five players in the country for points per game, a trend that appears to be continuing as she is averaging 29.5 through the first two games. Additionally, she recorded eight rebounds and eight assists against Chicago State in her 27 minutes of playing time.
The next highest scorer was Prosper, who finished with 28. She shot an efficient 10-for-12 on field goals as well as 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. So far this season, she has a 64% field goal percentage and has yet to miss a free throw.
Senior guard KK Bransford recorded her first double-double of the season with 21 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. After returning from a lower-leg injury that kept her out last season, Bransford has started the season strong, averaging 17 points and nine rebounds.
All five of Notre Dame’s starters would finish with double-digit point totals. Graduate guard Vanessa de Jesus recorded 15 points and also took three steals. She has had three steals in both games of this season. Forward Gisela Sanchez, a fellow graduate player, had 11 points along with two blocks.
Notre Dame dominated the boards, winning the rebounding battle 47-24. The 20 offensive boards resulted in 22 second-chance points. The Irish also won the turnover battle, forcing 30, including 19 steals. The team scored 44 points off turnovers. Another key to Notre Dame’s blowout victory was the shooting percentages. They were over 50% from the field and over 86% from the charity stripe.
The Irish will conclude a three-game homestand to start the season as the host of Akron on Nov. 12. The Zips are currently 0-2 and will tip off with Notre Dame at 7 p.m. inside Purcell Pavilion.
