No. 18 Notre Dame women’s basketball could not hold onto their early lead over No. 13 Ole Miss in the ACC/SEC Challenge in Mississippi Thursday night, losing to the Rebels 69-62.
The 5-1 Irish came into the game relaxed after a confident win over Central Michigan, where they emerged with an 83-51 victory, and junior guard Hannah Hidalgo continued to shine with 25 points.
The Rebels stepped onto the court with an undefeated record in their first seven games. Their most recent victory was over George Mason, where senior forward Christeen Iwuala led Ole Miss to an 81-67 win with 21 points and 10 assists.
In South Bend, Ole Miss was disorganized right after tip-off and they struggled to make strong drives to the basket. The Rebels were able to land 14 points on the board after falling into their rhythm late into the first quarter, thanks to efforts by senior forward Cotie McMahon. Despite the late start and disadvantage of being the away team, Notre Dame wasted no time in their offensive efforts to get ahead. The Irish built a comfortable 26-point lead with Hidalgo scoring 14 points herself. Notre Dame’s dominance early in the first was due to their rebounding ability, earning seven rebounds in comparison to the Rebels’ five.
The Rebels continued to score and grow more confident in their play and their momentum carried over from the first quarter likely due to the rotation of players on the court. Ole Miss went deeper into their bench, and the fresh legs may have been the change needed to get the Rebels on the scoring trend that allowed them to lead the quarter with 15 points. The Rebels’ defense was slowly adapting to the Irish offense. Notre Dame was limited to only 11 points in the second quarter, which was less than half of the points they scored in the first.
Halftime was a much-needed break for an Irish team battling frustration and they needed to refocus and realign their style of play to maintain the 37-29 lead that was slowly dwindling.
Despite the Irish efforts, Ole Miss was determined to keep the score within reach, and the Rebels outplayed a Notre Dame team that could not seem to find the success they had in the first quarter. The Irish only put up 12 points, eight of which came from the paint and recorded no steals. The quarter was uncharacteristic for this Irish team that typically specializes in gritty offense central on the attack. Ole Miss was wide awake now, their frustration in the first period forgotten as they put up 21 points to make the score 54-52, the Irish barely holding onto the lead. The Rebels outplayed the Irish on offense, diving after any loose ball and forcing opportunities to go their way, aided by their impressive 13 rebounds in the third quarter.
The Irish tried to rally coming into the fourth, working to maintain their lead but ultimately could not beat the energetic Rebels to the basket. The Rebels took the lead for the first time since the game started and, despite late shots by Hidalgo and graduate student forward Malaya Cowles, the Irish could not quite manage to catch up to the Rebels. Ole Miss scored 19 points in the fourth quarter, and unfortunately the 13 points for the Irish could not overcome the deficit. Ole Miss had a deeper rotation of players they could rely on, building their confidence and padding their lead until the clock ran out. The Irish did not give up, playing strong basketball and trying to force plays to go their way but just could not find the success they needed to win.
The Irish will continue their road trip as they travel to Tallahassee to face Florida State University, their first ACC opponent of the year. The Seminoles are 4-5 so far this season, and the Irish have ample time to prepare and refocus for a game they must win to maintain their ranking and prove they belong in the tough conference of ACC basketball. The Irish will battle it out against the Seminoles on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m. in a must-win in the Sunshine State.
