Notre Dame Secures Seventh Straight Win, Defeats No. 17 North Carolina Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles Shine with 43 Combined Points in Road Victory 1-5-2025
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Notre Dame extended its winning streak to seven games with a commanding 76-66 road victory over No. 17 North Carolina on Sunday. The Tar Heels (13-3, 1-2 ACC), boasting the ACC’s top scoring defense at just over 52 points per game, struggled to contain the red-hot Irish offense (12-2, 3-0 ACC), which surpassed that average by the third quarter and delivered UNC’s second-highest points allowed this season.
Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles led the charge, combining for 10 three-pointers and 43 points. Hidalgo topped all scorers with 24 points, surpassing the 20-point mark for the 38th time in her career and the 12th time in 14 games this season. Miles added 19 points, including two early triples that helped Notre Dame to a 20-16 lead after the first quarter. Together, the duo hit 10-of-17 from beyond the arc. Hidalgo’s first-half highlight included a four-point play during a 9-0 Irish run, the largest of the game.
Notre Dame led 42-28 at halftime, holding UNC scoreless for the final two minutes of the second quarter. The Tar Heels, however, opened the second half with a 7-0 run, sparked by a Reniyah Kelly three-pointer, cutting the Irish lead to seven points.
Despite North Carolina outscoring Notre Dame 24-19 in the third quarter and trimming the lead to five, the Irish remained resilient. Key to the victory was Notre Dame’s dominance on the boards, with a 40-28 rebounding advantage led by Liatu King’s 15 rebounds. The senior, ranked fifth nationally in rebounding, narrowly missed her eighth double-double of the season, finishing with eight points.
The game also marked the season debut of graduate forward Maddy Westbeld, who returned from a foot injury that sidelined her for 13 games. While she didn’t attempt a shot in her 13 minutes of action, she contributed defensively with a block and a steal.
Sophomore guard Emma Risch was unavailable due to illness. Though present on the bench, she did not suit up or participate in pregame warmups.
Notre Dame will return to action on Thursday, Jan. 9, hosting Wake Forest. The game, originally scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST, has been moved up to 5:00 p.m. to accommodate Notre Dame football’s Orange Bowl appearance at 7:30 p.m. the same evening.
