Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame Defeats NC State to Take ACC Title

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated the North Carolina State Wolfpack 55-51 to claim the ACC Champion title on Sunday in the Greensboro Coliseum.  

Notre Dame started with an error and turned the ball over on the first possession. The pace was fast, physical, and intense. The two teams managed to match one another’s physicality on both sides of the ball, especially defensively. 

The Wolfpack forced turnovers by piling up on defense to challenge the Irish and made them struggle.  

The crowd got rowdy as the game closed in the first half. Notre Dame was up with possession of the ball seconds before halftime. The Fighting Irish upped the tempo, but NC State matched it. That did not stop them as freshman Hannah Hidalgo hit a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded.  

The Fighting Irish came out playing aggressively on defense to start the second half. River Baldwin stepped up for the Pack in the second half. In the second half alone, she scored 12 of her 14 points. 

While forcing scoring droughts on Notre Dame and going on multiple runs, the Wolfpack offense regained the lead going into the fourth quarter.  

The Wolfpack excelled on defense, picking up steals and forcing turnovers. After back-to-back three pointers from Maddy Westbeld, the Fighting Irish tied the game with three minutes remaining. After a brawl in the final minute, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish succeeded and secured the 55-51 victory. 

NC State’s defense flourished against the Fighting Irish. They rebounded the ball 40 times, 31 times on defense. The Wolfpack had good distribution, allowing everyone to get something going one way or another. 

Aziaha James came into the game determined and played consistently, posting 12 points, six rebounds, and five assists. 

Hidalgo was all over the court for Sunday’s match up. Her performance stood out. She was fast, focused, and intentional with her plays. She led the Irish with 22 points, six rebounds, and six assists. 

“This one hurts. The game was a battle. They came out and did exactly what they were supposed to do. I feel like our energy was good, especially in the third quarter, but going forward we just have to put these 40 minutes together you know. We’ll learn from it. We’ll feel the pain now. Take a few days to ourselves and then come back and get ready for the [NCAA] tournament,” said Saniya Rivers on her intake on NC State’s performance.