LOS ANGELES -- No. 6 Notre Dame took down No. 3 USC 74-61 in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon. The Irish were led by star Hannah Hidalgo. who put on a clinic while leading the team with 24 points.
The crowd at Galen Center included actor Michael B. Jordan, LA Sparks' Cameron and rapper Snoop Dogg – whose outfit was dedicated to USC star JuJu Watkins.
Hidalgo got the first two buckets of the game and set the tone early. She had 16 points by halftime, helping the Fighting Irish enter the break with a 35-28 advantage. She kept her foot on the gas and opened the second half with a steal and a jumper.
Hannah Hidalgo is a MENACE. This is how Notre Dame starts the second half against USC 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/vEwQqbepM2
— Isabel Gonzalez (@cisabelg) November 23, 2024
However, the Trojans were not going to just give this one away. Watkins had a quiet first two quarters with only five points, but she came alive in the third while trying to get something going for her team.
Unfortunately of the Trojans, they couldn't maintain any success and did not get any closer in the third quarter. Then, the Irish started to pull away in the fourth and made it clear they were not going to be denied.
Besides her 24 points, Hidalgo also contributed with six rebounds, eight assists and five steals. It was Hidalgo's 10th career game with at least 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals, which is the most by a D-I player in the last 25 years, according to ESPN.
Olivia Miles has been looking strong since her return from a knee injury, and she flirted with a triple-double, putting up 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Watkins finished the day with 24 points, while Kiki Iriafen an Talia von Oelfhoffen contributed with 15 and 10 points, respectively. USC was playing without freshman Kennedy Smith, who underwent surgery and is out indefinitely.
USC was ranked higher, but Notre Dame's stats ahead of this weekend showed this was not a team to overlook. The Fighting Irish arrived to Los Angeles with the second scoring offense in the nation, and Hidalgo with the fifth best average in points per game.
Up next, Notre Dame (5-0) has another tough challenge on the road with a game against No. 19 TCU on Friday. Meanwhile, the Trojans (4-1) will try to bounce back when they take on Seton Hall on Wednesday in Palm Springs.
