2 months ago
Hannah Hidalgo already had her different triple-double and nan NCAA single-season grounds for steals erstwhile she made nan play that yet sent Notre Dame to nan Elite Eight of March Madness.
Mikayla Blakes ended up pinch 2 chances to reply for Vanderbilt successful a matchup of 2 of nan nation’s apical 3 scorers successful nan Sweet 16 of nan NCAA Tournament.
The Fighting Irish’s sparkplug was nan 1 leaping pinch joyousness astatine nan buzzer.
Hidalgo had 31 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals and nan assistance connected nan go-ahead bucket successful nan last minute, starring Notre Dame to a 67-64 triumph complete nan higher-seeded Commodores connected Friday.
After soaring betwixt 2 defenders to drawback an inbound pass, Hidalgo instantly flipped a bounce walk to Cassandre Prosper nether nan handbasket for a two-point lead pinch 22 seconds to go.
The sixth-seeded Fighting Irish (25-10) will play either top-seeded and undefeated UConn aliases North Carolina successful nan Fort Worth Regional 1 last Sunday.
Blakes, nan Division I scoring leader, rallied from a unsmooth shooting commencement to decorativeness pinch 26 points for Vanderbilt, but mislaid nan shot retired of bounds connected nan dribble aft Prosper’s go-ahead shot, past missed a three-pointer arsenic clip expired.
The No 2 seed Commodores (29-5) were successful nan Sweet 16 for nan first clip since 2009.
“It was like, we didn’t do each this activity conscionable for it to beryllium complete correct now,” said Hidalgo, nan No 3 scorer successful Division 1. “I was telling nan girls, I’m like, ‘This is not our past crippled playing together. We’re going to fig it retired and triumph this crippled truthful we tin beryllium capable to play a crippled together again.’”
In a crippled afloat of large plays from Hidalgo connected her measurement to nan steals record, nan biggest didn’t person thing to do pinch nan categories successful her different triple-double, nan 3rd of her career. Although it did lead to her team-leading seventh assist.
With a high-arching inbound walk coming down arsenic she ran betwixt 2 defenders, nan 5ft 6in Hidalgo soared to make nan catch, came down and instantly recovered Prosper each unsocial astatine nan rim.
After Blakes mislaid nan shot dribbling toward nan handbasket for what would person been a tying shot, nan Commodores had to foul 3 times conscionable to get Notre Dame to nan free-throw line.
Prosper missed nan first of 2 free throws to springiness Vanderbilt a chance. Standout freshman Aubrey Galvan, who was a large logic nan Commodores were moreover successful nan crippled late, missed a 3 but sewage her ain rebound and recovered Blakes.
The high-scoring sophomore who missed her first 8 shots was disconnected target from beyond nan arc, completing a 7-of-26 showing for her arsenic Vanderbilt matched its play worst astatine 35% shooting for nan game.
“Starting nan game, I guess, human. I miss shots,” said Blakes, whose 27% was besides her lowest of nan season. “So I wouldn’t opportunity it was nerves aliases thing for illustration that. I can’t execute for my squad for illustration that successful a infinitesimal arsenic large arsenic this. The past play pinch nan ball, I conjecture conscionable dribbled it disconnected my foot. I saw an unfastened lane, but I conjecture I moved excessively fast.”
Hidalgo needed 4 steals to break Chastadie Barrs’ people of 192 group pinch Lamar successful 2018-19. She sewage that successful nan first 4th and ended nan crippled 1 awkward of being nan first pinch 200 successful a season.
She’ll astir apt deed that milestone successful nan location final.
Hidalgo was already conscionable nan 2nd subordinate to person astatine slightest 8 steals successful aggregate NCAA Tournament games. She had 8 successful each of Notre Dame’s first 2 tourney wins, complete Fairfield and Ohio State.
Three of Hidalgo’s steals came quickly against Vanderbilt midway done nan 2nd quarter.
She grabbed nan shot retired of Sacha Washington’s hands and went successful unsocial for a layup, past stole a bad walk adjacent midcourt. Her seventh bargain soon aft led to different easy layup for a 23-11 lead.
“I deliberation everybody knows, but we conscionable provender disconnected of her,” said Prosper, who scored 15 points. “Her protect intensity, it conscionable fires america to do nan aforesaid thing. You don’t want to beryllium connected a squad wherever 1 subordinate is bringing each that effort and power and past you’re not responding nan aforesaid way.”
Vanderbilt was 3-20 from nan section and 0-9 connected three-pointers midway done nan 2nd 4th erstwhile Galvan, who scored 24 points, deed consecutive shots down nan arc aft a spectacular layup. She flipped nan shot complete her caput arsenic she turned distant from nan basket, portion of a 12-2 tally that erased astir of a 12-point deficit.
The Commodores were down six early successful nan 4th fourth erstwhile Blakes converted a three-point play and Galvan deed a tying three.
