PARIS — No. 6 South Caroline (1-0) proved to be too much for No. 10 Notre Dame (0-1) on Monday night, as the Gamecocks will return to the United States with a 100-71 win.
Hannah Hidalgo was a bright spot for the Irish in her collegiate debut, as she posted 31 points. Prior to Monday, no freshman had eclipsed 30 points in a Notre Dame debut. It was also the first 30-point game for an Irish player since Olivia Miles did it on Jan. 30, 2022.
Notre Dame started off fast. The Irish led after Q1, 25-24. Hidalgo had 13 of those points. They shot 50 percent from the floor and went 3-7 from deep.
South Carolina took over in the second frame, winning the quarter 24-8. Notre Dame went 0-5 from deep and made just four shots.
The second half featured more of the same, as foul trouble forced the Irish bigs to take a step back. South Carolina forward Kamilla Cardoso took advantage and finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds. In total, South Carolina scored 70 points in the paint and 30 on fast breaks. Notre Dame had just 20 and 10, respectively.
In addition to Hidalgo , Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld posted 12 points each. The usual 3-point shooters struggled; Citron and Emma Risch went a combined 1-8 from deep, and Anna DeWolfe did not attempt a trey.
Up next, Notre Dame heads to the East Coast to play NJIT. The Sunday afternoon game will tip off on ESPN+ at 2 p.m.