Last Updated 7 days by Amnon J. Jobi | Amnon Front Page
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Hannah Hidalgo scored 18 of her 24 points before halftime while No. 3 Notre Dame knocked down 13 3-pointers to beat No. 17 North Carolina 76-66 on Sunday.
Hidalgo joined with her fellow past Associated Press All-American backcourtmate Olivia Miles in helping the Fighting Irish (12-2, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) win their seventh straight game. Hidalgo and Miles each made five 3s, with Miles hitting multiple either off the dribble or on stepbacks against nearby defenders on the way to 19 points.
Liatu King added 15 rebounds to lead a strong rebounding effort for Notre Dame.
Maria Gakdeng had 16 points for the Tar Heels (13-3, 1-2), while Lexi Donarski added 13 points with three 3s.
Takeaways
Notre Dame: Notre Dame got back Maddy Westbeld from a foot injury that had sidelined her all season. The fifth-year graduate, who has 120 career starts, was scoreless in 13 minutes but could play a big role for the preseason ACC favorite.
UNC: The glass was a problem for the Tar Heels, who were 40-28 and outscored 20-8 on second-chance points.
Key moment
The Irish took control in the second quarter, outscoring the Tar Heels 22-12 to build a 14-point halftime margin — highlighted by Hidalgo banking in a scooping shot underneath Gakdeng’s outstretched arm late in the quarter on a play that left the confident sophomore shaking her head in seeming disbelief.
UNC got as close as five early in the third quarter but never made up that gap.
Key stat
The Fighting Irish made 13 of 21 3-pointers, including 12 of 16 entering the final period. Notre Dame entered ranked No. 1 nationally by making 42.9% of their 3s.
Up next
Both teams play again Thursday. The Fighting Irish host Wake Forest while the Tar Heels host 14th-ranked rival Duke.