SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Fighting Irish picked up their second ranked win inside Purcell Pavilion this season, knocking off No. 22 UNC in impressive fashion by a score of 73-50 on Sunday afternoon.
The victory improves Notre Dame’s record to 12-4 on the season and 4-2 in ACC play.
Hannah Hidalgo was masterful in all facets of the game, scoring a game-high 31 points on 13-of-25 shooting while adding eight rebounds, seven steals and six assists.
Cassandre Prosper continued her run of great play with her sixth double-double of the season, finishing with 17 points and 14 rebounds, which ties her career high for rebounds in a game.
Vanessa de Jesus also had a notable performance, finishing with 16 points on an excellent shooting performance, finishing 6-of-7 from the floor and 4-for-5 from three-point range.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The defenses by both teams dominated the opening stages of play, as the score was level at 9-9 with under 3 minutes of play left in the first quarter. The Irish finished the frame by scoring six straight to take a 15-9 lead after the opening 10 minutes of action.
The Fighting Irish limited the Tar Heels to just 3-of-16 shooting from the field in the first frame, including 0-4 from three-point range.
The two sides played an even second stanza, both sides scoring 18 points to move the score to 33-27 at the halftime intermission. Prosper led the Irish in the second quarter with seven points on 3-for-3 shooting.
Notre Dame completely took control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring the Tar Heels 22-5 to break the game wide open at 55-32. The duo of de Jesus and Hidalgo combined for 20 of the 22 Irish points with de Jesus shooting 4-of-5, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. The five Tar Heel points mark the fewest they have scored in a quarter this season.
Notre Dame pushed its lead to as many 29 points on three occasions during the fourth quarter before going on to win by a final score of 73-50.
STAT OF THE NIGHT
The Irish defense made the headlines, holding UNC to a season-low 50 points in the victory. The Tar Heels shot just 34.5 percent (19-of-55) from the floor, its lowest mark of the season. Notre Dame pressured North Carolina into 22 turnovers, 11 coming by steals.
NOTRE DAME NOTES
- Notre Dame is now 12-5 all-time against North Carolina in the all-time series.
- The Fighting Irish have recorded double-digit steals in 14 of 16 games this season.
- Notre Dame remains unbeaten at home this season, posting a record of 10-0, and have now won 13-straight games inside Purcell Pavilion.
- The Irish held North Carolina to its second fewest point total in a first half this season with 27 points.
- Eleven of Notre Dame’s 12 wins have come by at least 10 points.
- The Fighting Irish have recorded 10 or more steals in 58-of-84 games since the start of the 2023-24 season.
- With 31 points, Hidalgo has scored 30+ points in five games this season and 14 games in her career, a program record.
- Hidalgo has finished in double figures in the scoring column in all 83 games of her career, the longest streak in program history.
- Prosper recorded her sixth double-double of her career, all coming in the last eight games.
- Prosper has scored 20+ points in four of her seven double-doubles.
- With 16 points, de Jesus set a career-high for most points in a game against a ranked opponent.
UP NEXT
The Fighting Irish cap off the three-game homestand by welcoming No. 10 Louisville to Purcell Pavilion for a midweek matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 15 and the game will air on ACCN.