Fighting Irish Today

The Notre Dame women’s basketball team continued to make history on Thursday night, dominating Wake Forest100-64 to extend their impressive season. With 1,337 total points through 15 games, the Irish have set a program record for the most points through the first 15 games of a season. This marks the fourth time this year that Notre Dame has hit the 100-point mark—an achievement the team has now reached just three times in its history.

It was a well-rounded performance from the Irish, who had six players score in double figures. Hannah Hidalgo led the charge with 23 points, while Liatu King added 17, Sonia Citron contributed 16, and Maddy Westbeld chipped in 14. Olivia Miles (13) and Kate Koval (11) also played key roles. In addition, five players grabbed at least five rebounds, and Miles dished out a team-high 9 assists. Hidalgo, the ACC leader in steals, matched her season high with 6 steals.

“I’m really pleased with this win, especially with the depth we have and the ability to rotate players and match up in different ways,” said Niele Ivey, Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Coach. “With the physicality of the season, having more bodies available to compete is only going to help us.”

Fast Start and Dominant First Half

Notre Dame came out strong, opening the game with a 10-0 run and taking a 25-15 lead at the end of the first quarter. Seven different players got on the scoreboard, with Hidalgo leading the way with 6 points.

In the second quarter, Hidalgo turned up the heat, scoring 11 more points to finish the first half with a game-leading 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. The All-American also added 5 steals in the first half.

The Irish took a commanding 53-31 lead into halftime, with Westbeld contributing a put-back jumper just before the break—her first 5 points of the season. “The way the crowd embraced her when she got into the game was awesome,” Ivey said. “It’s so hard for a senior to sit out for so long, so I’m really happy for her.”

Notre Dame’s fast-paced offense continued to shine, scoring 21 fastbreak points in the first half, shooting an impressive 62.5% from the floor, and connecting on 5 of 8 three-pointers. The Irish entered the game leading the nation in three-point shooting, with a remarkable 44.3% success rate from beyond the arc.

Wake Forest’s leading scorer, Rylie Theuerkauf, was held scoreless through the first half.

Second Half: Irish Pull Away

After trading baskets to start the third quarter, Notre Dame went on an 8-0 run, sparked by 4 consecutive points from Citron, to push the lead to 62-33. A Wake Forest timeout couldn’t slow the Irish down, and the Demon Deacons went on a brief 10-0 run of their own, which was halted by a free throw from Hidalgo.

The Irish closed out the third quarter with a jump shot from King and a layup by Koval, increasing their lead to 24 points, 76-52.

In the final period, Notre Dame’s defense was suffocating, holding Wake Forest to just 12 points, including a stretch where they were scoreless for the final 4:35. Offensively, the Irish finished strong with an 11-0 run to close out the game. A three-pointer from Westbeld sparked the run, followed by baskets from Miles, Karlen, Prosper, and Koval, sealing their fourth ACC win of the season.

Depth and Versatility

“It’s super exciting to have everyone back,” said King. “Coach Ivey always says, ‘pick your poison.’ Any one of us can go out there and give opponents a hard time.”

With this victory, Notre Dame improves to 4-0 in the ACC and looks to continue their dominance as they head to Clemson for a Sunday showdown at Littlejohn Coliseum. The game is set to air on The CW at 2 p.m.