If you had any doubts about the Notre Dame women’s basketball team, think again.
The Irish throttled the gas pedal against NC State, taking down the Wolfpack 79-67. The win moves Notre Dame to 16-9 on the season and 8-6 in the ACC.
After jumping out to an early 17-14 lead by the end of the first quarter, the Irish completely outclassed the Wolfpack in the second quarter, in which they outscored NC State 30-13.
Aside from a simply dominant second frame of basketball, the Irish’s biggest difference maker in the first proved to be its efficiency beyond the arc. Notre Dame finished the first half 7-12 from deep, including a flurry off the bench from graduate student forward Gisela Sanchez.
“We did a great job shooting from the perimeter. We did a great job preparing all week, so we were really happy that we had that opportunity to get better this week,” said head coach Niele Ivey in her postgame press conference.
As alluded to by Ivey, Notre Dame’s one week rest following its game on Feb. 8 against Virginia played a critical role in the Irish’s stellar showing. In a season that’s been marred by injuries and overall lack of depth, every player on Notre Dame contributed mightily against NC State.
“Thought that they came in with the right attitude every day. Thought that we had a really great practice yesterday; we had a ton of energy yesterday. So, when you have multiple days when you can rest, get some recovery, but also get work done, it was really beneficial for us today,” said Ivey.
The second half was much of the same as the first. Notre Dame was lethal in transition, especially in the third quarter. At the midway point of the third, graduate student guard Iyana Moore stripped an NC State player before feeding to junior guard Hannah Hidalgo for a fast-break. One-on-one to the basket, Hidalgo did what she does best: razzle-dazzle her way to a score.
Just a few moments later, Moore found senior guard Cassandre Prosper on a nice backdoor cut to the paint. Prosper finished it off, and Moore’s back-to-back clever feeds were met with the applause of a rowdy crowd at Purcell Pavilion.
Early in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame reached a 27-point lead. To NC State’s credit, the Wolfpack hung tough and did not give up. With three legitimate potential All-ACC selections on its squad, its talent found a way to shine through. The Wolfpack ultimately cut the deficit to 12 by the final buzzer, but it was too little too late.
NC State likely could’ve stayed closer in the game had they not met a Notre Dame team that was hungry like the wolf for a turnover. The Irish forced 22 total turnovers, the most the Wolfpack have given up this season. Hidalgo paced the charge with six steals.
Hidalgo was also a pest underneath the glass. Despite standing just at 5-foot-6, the junior superstar guard swiped eight rebounds, a feat made even more impressive considering she came into the game leading the ACC in rebounds.
“It gives our team energy when you see somebody that’s the smallest person on the floor flying around,” said Ivey on Hidalgo’s relentless effort. “It changes the mentality of the team.”
Offensively, Hidalgo paved the way with 19 points and six assists. Her superb play was complemented by graduate student forward Malaya Cowles, Prosper and Moore. All three upperclassmen finished with at least 13 points.
Cowles’ play was especially fantastic. The Wake Forest transfer shot six-for-nine from the field, and her physical presence inside helped open up space for Notre Dame’s shooters on the perimeter.
But most importantly, in Notre Dame’s annual pink game for breast cancer research and awareness, Cowles played for a reason bigger than herself.
“It definitely means a lot playing for my team and all of the fighters that are out there today,” said Cowles. “My mom is a fighter.”
Ivey also elaborated on the game's extra significance, saying, “This is the type of game you want to play for because you know it’s bigger than basketball. There were a lot of survivors here. We had five who joined us in the tunnel. These are the moments we get the chance to honor the supporters, our fans and know that this game is a small thing in this game of life.”
Ivey, Cowles and company certainly did their part to honor those fighters in attendance with their most well-rounded performance of the season thus far.
Looking ahead, Notre Dame travels to Winston-Salem, NC and Dallas for games against Wake Forest and SMU on Thursday and Sunday. The Irish then host Syracuse on Feb. 26 before concluding their regular season with a tough road test against No. 9 Louisville on March 1.
With the Demon Deacons and Mustangs sitting close to last in the conference standings, the first two games of this final stretch are winnable. While the latter two pose more of a challenge, the Irish’s performance against the Wolfpack was vindication that they can hang with the best of them.
