Fighting Irish Today

No. 3 Notre Dame (10-2, 1-0) concluded its 2024-25 non-conference schedule with a commanding 97-54 victory over Loyola Maryland (5-5) on Sunday afternoon.

Olivia Miles delivered another historic performance, recording the fifth triple-double of her career and second of the season. Her assist to Emma Risch midway through the fourth quarter sealed the achievement. Already holding the program record, Miles is now just one triple-double away from tying the ACC record. She finished the game with 18 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, and zero turnovers.

Liza Karlen had her most impactful game since joining the Irish, contributing 15 points and 7 rebounds. Liatu King continued her strong season with 18 points and 10 boards, marking her seventh double-double of the year. Meanwhile, Hannah Hidalgo lit up the scoreboard with 33 points, just two shy of her career-high. With seven 30-point games in her career, Hidalgo now ranks tied for second in school history alongside Jewell Loyd.

“Usually, the game right before Christmas break can be tough, but I thought we played much better in the second half,” said head coach Niele Ivey. “Liv [Miles] did an incredible job leading us. She made some passes I’ve never seen in my entire life—they were absolutely amazing.”

The Irish overcame a slow defensive start, igniting a 13-0 run that featured a dazzling underhand, no-look pass from Miles to King. Notre Dame registered assists on five of its first six field goals, closing the first quarter on a 22-5 run and dominating the paint with an 18-4 scoring advantage.

Offensively, the Irish cooled in the second quarter, managing just 16 points on 6-17 shooting. Karlen was a standout, tallying 6 points, 3 rebounds, and filling the stat sheet with 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. At halftime, Notre Dame led 42-24, continuing its streak of never trailing at the break this season.

Hidalgo took over in the third quarter, scoring Notre Dame’s first 8 points and 10 of the first 12 as part of a 12-0 run. Her contributions included two three-pointers and a steal that led to a fast-break score, doubling the lead to 54-27.

The highlight of the game came midway through the third, with Miles threading a through-the-legs assist to Hidalgo for a layup. Moments later, Hidalgo made a diving steal and tossed the ball backward to King, who converted the play into points. The Irish ended the third with their largest lead of the game, up 35, and continued to extend the margin in the final frame.

“Hannah and I just throw random, crazy passes to each other,” Miles said postgame with a grin.

In the closing minutes, walk-ons Luci Jensen and Bella Tehrani, along with Sarah Cernugel, saw extended action. Jensen made her mark with her first career assist and two rebounds.

Notre Dame now shifts its focus to ACC play, entering conference competition as one of the top-ranked teams in the nation.