One thing is clear about Notre Dame women’s basketball after their first three games: the Fighting Irish (3-0) are a “pick your poison” team. This was evident in their recent 92-46 victory against James Madison, where five players scored in double figures.
In this matchup against the pre-season favorite for the Sun Belt Conference title, the Irish didn’t reach 100 points for the first time while also limiting the Dukes (3-1) to their lowest score of the season. Hannah Hidalgo led the team with 24 points, scoring 11 in the fourth quarter, marking her second consecutive game over 20 points and the 28th time in her career. The sophomore guard, who led the nation with 4.6 steals per game last season, recorded four steals in this game, bringing her total to 16 over three games.
Hidalgo, the ACC Freshman of the Year last season, was joined by fellow freshman Kate Koval, who made a strong case to be the fourth Irish player in five years to earn that title. The 6-5 freshman achieved her first double-double with 14 points, 16 rebounds, and six blocks, leading the ACC and ranking sixth nationally in blocks after her first two games.
While the inside game thrived, veterans Olivia Miles and Liatu King also continued to perform well. Both scored in double figures for the third consecutive game, with Miles contributing 16 points and eight assists, hitting two three-pointers. King, who started the season with two double-doubles, finished with 11 points and three rebounds after playing just 19 minutes due to foul trouble. She had a hard fall in the fourth quarter but managed to walk off the court with assistance.
Cassandre Prosper added to the scoring with 11 points. After struggling with injuries last season, she has now scored in double figures in two of her three games this year. Sonia Citron, who scored 14 in her season debut, managed only seven points but made a significant impact defensively, limiting JMU’s Peyton McDaniel, a Preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year, to just eight points on 3 of 14 shooting.
Notre Dame’s defense was strong, holding James Madison to 22% shooting, including just 7 of 33 in the second half, and outscoring the Dukes 44-20 in the paint.
The Fighting Irish will next face Lafayette in Pennsylvania this Sunday, with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 PM Eastern Time.
