SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The 13th-ranked Notre Dame women’s basketball team cruised to a 125-59 exhibition win over Truman State Monday night inside Purcell Pavilion in a preseason tuneup before heading to Rome later this week.
The Irish were on fire from the field from tip to the final buzzer, making 52 shots on a 61.9% percentage, including 12-of-23 from beyond the arc. The Irish scored 74 points in the paint, forcing 27 Wildcat turnovers that led to 46 points.
Six Irish finished in double figures, led by Hannah Hidalgo’s 33 points. Leah Macy added 22, while Jenica Lewis scored 21 and Jacy Abii chipped in 20. Madison St. Rose contributed 14 points and Amiyah Byles rounded out the group with 11 off the bench.
Macy stuffed the stat sheet in her Irish debut, finishing with 22 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and four steals.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Notre Dame opened up the game on fire from the field. After missing their first shot of the game, the Irish knocked down ten consecutive shots, led by a perfect five-of-five from Hannah Hidalgo, to lead 23-8 at the first break of action. The Irish drilled each of their first three from behind the arc, courtesy of Hidalgo, Jacy Abii and Jenica Lewis.
Notre Dame ended the opening quarter shooting a blistering 69.6% from the field, in large part due to a heavy offensive attack in the paint. The Irish scored 26 points in the first quarter in the painted area, finishing 13/15 on layups in the opening frame. Notre Dame led 37-16 after one, with Hidalgo leading the way with 15 points and Abii behind her with seven of her own.
Lewis knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to extend the Irish lead to 50-20 midway through the second quarter. The baskets highlighted a 13-4 Notre Dame run to open the period, with the Irish connecting on five of their first nine attempts from beyond the arc. Lewis was the second Notre Dame player in double figures with 11.
With 1:14 remaining in the second quarter, Leah Macy banked in a layup to reach nine points, capping an impressive first half in her Irish debut. The Elizabethtown, Kentucky, native also grabbed a team-high six rebounds before the break.
Lewis connected on her fourth three-pointer of the half just before the buzzer sounded, bringing her point total to 15 as Notre Dame carried a 64-34 advantage into halftime.
The Irish shot 27-43 from the field in the opening half, including 6-11 from three. Defensively, Notre Dame forced 13 Wildcat turnovers, with Hidalgo and Macy recording four steals apiece.
Six different Irish players scored to open the second half, with Lewis capping the stretch with her fifth three-pointer of the game. Notre Dame built a 78-47 advantage with 4:53 remaining in the third quarter.
The Irish closed the period on a 10-1 run, holding Truman State without a field goal over the final 4:16. Macy continued her strong debut, tallying seven points, three rebounds and two assists in the third quarter alone. Notre Dame took a 90-53 lead into the final 10 minutes of play.
The run continued, as the Irish scored the first seven points of the final frame to push the lead to 44.
Abi’s second triple of the game put Notre Dame over the century mark, a catalyst in a 24-0 run as the Irish went up 121-56 with under two minutes to go.
Amari Byles capped off the win with an offensive rebound and layup as Notre Dame outscored Truman State 35-6 in the final quarter to cruise to a 125-59 win.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame kicks off the entire NCAA women’s basketball season in Rome as part of the Eternal City Tip-Off against Villanova on Sunday, November 1 at 12:00 p.m. ET on FS1.