Fighting Irish Today

No. 3 Notre Dame (10-2, 1-0) capped its 2024-25 non-conference schedule in dominant fashion on Sunday, securing a 97-54 victory over Loyola Maryland (5-5).

Olivia Miles made history yet again, recording her fifth career triple-double and second of the season with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists—all without a single turnover. With her assist to Emma Risch in the fourth quarter, Miles extended her Notre Dame record and moved within one triple-double of tying the ACC career record.

Liza Karlen had her strongest performance since joining the Irish, contributing 15 points and 7 rebounds, while Liatu King posted her seventh double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 boards. Freshman standout Hannah Hidalgo continued her stellar play, pouring in 33 points, just two shy of her career-high. Hidalgo now has seven career games with 30+ points, tying Jewell Loyd for the second-most in school history.

“Usually, the game right before Christmas break can be challenging, 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 before in my life—they were amazing.”

Notre Dame’s defense settled in after a slow start, fueling a 13-0 run that included a highlight-reel, no-look underhand pass from Miles to King. The Irish ended the first quarter on a 22-5 run, dominating the paint with an 18-4 scoring advantage inside.

While the offense slowed in the second quarter, scoring 16 points on 6-17 shooting, Karlen shone brightly, contributing 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. The Irish entered halftime with a 42-24 lead, continuing their streak of never trailing at the half this season.

Hidalgo opened the third quarter with a personal 8-0 run and scored 10 of Notre Dame’s first 12 points, including two three-pointers and a steal-and-score off a Loyola inbound. A dazzling sequence midway through the quarter featured a between-the-legs assist from Miles to Hidalgo, followed by a diving steal from Hidalgo, who flipped the ball backward to King for a layup.

The Irish built their largest lead of the game late in the third quarter, up by 35 points, and extended it further in the fourth.

“Hannah and I just throw random, crazy passes to each other,” Miles said with a smile after the game.

In the final minutes, walk-ons Luci Jensen and Bella Tehrani, along with Sarah Cernugel, saw extended playing time. Jensen recorded her first career assist and pulled down two rebounds in the closing stretch.

Notre Dame now turns its focus to ACC play, riding momentum as one of the nation’s top teams.