Fighting Irish Today

On Sunday, No. 3 Notre Dame (11-2, 2-0) dominated visiting Virginia (8-6, 0-2) with a commanding 95-54 victory. The game was marked by historic milestones for both players and coaches.

Sophomore Olivia Miles continued her sensational season, recording her second consecutive triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high-tying 14 assists. This marked the sixth triple-double of her career, tying Maryland’s Alyssa Thomas for the most in ACC history. During the game, Miles also secured her 500th career rebound, becoming only the third player in Notre Dame history to achieve 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists, joining program legends Lindsay Allen and Skylar Diggins.

“It’s special,” Miles reflected postgame. “It’s even more special coming off a year where I [did not play]. It’s a testament to my rehab, the work that I put in. It’s definitely not an easy thing to do, to sit out, but I learned so much, and it’s enabled me to come and do what I do.”

Head coach Niele Ivey also reached a major milestone, earning her 100th career win in just 134 games. This sets a new program record and establishes her as the fastest coach in ACC history to achieve 100 wins at the start of a head coaching career.

“To see what we’ve manifested with this program is just unbelievable,” Ivey said. “I’m so grateful, and I’m really lucky to be the coach for this group.”

The Irish dominated from the outset, closing the first quarter with a 16-0 run to build a 25-9 lead. Freshman Hannah Hidalgo led the charge, hitting two three-pointers and tallying 12 points in the frame. Sonia Citron contributed 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists, shooting 3-4 from the field.

Notre Dame extended its run to 28-0 in the second quarter before Virginia finally scored on a free throw. Miles and Liatu King led the way in the period, with Miles adding 6 points and 5 rebounds, while King contributed 4 points and 6 boards. The Irish led 43-19 at halftime, holding Virginia to just 8-32 shooting from the floor and 1-10 from three-point range.

In the third quarter, Citron caught fire, going 4-5 from beyond the arc and staying perfect from the free-throw line. She finished the second half with 14 points and 6 rebounds. The senior ended the game with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 three-pointers. Hidalgo also shone brightly, leading all scorers with 28 points. The duo became the first Notre Dame players to score 25 points in a conference game since Arike Ogunbowale and Jessica Shepard accomplished the feat in 2019.

Notre Dame’s teamwork was equally impressive, recording 32 assists on 38 made field goals—the most assists in a conference game since joining the ACC.

The Irish have a week off before heading to Chapel Hill to face No. 17 North Carolina on Sunday.