Registering her 11th career double-double in just 14 minutes of play, Hannah Hidalgo recorded 23 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists to lead No. 13 Notre Dame to a 108-60 victory over Detroit Mercy on Tuesday night. However, this was not the only remarkable stat Hidalgo posted on the night.
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Hidalgo converted 7-of-13 field goal attempts and shot a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, anchoring an offense that featured six players scoring in double figures. During the third quarter, Hidalgo connected on the 564th free throw of her career, breaking Skylar Diggins’ previous program record to become the Fighting Irish’s leader in this stat category, per an Instagram post by the program.
Hannah Hidalgo’s free-throw percentage has always been noteworthy, since her first season with Notre Dame. As a freshman, Hidalgo made 184-of-237 shots from the charity stripe, shooting 77.6 %. She improved on this as a sophomore, shooting 85.6% from the FT line. After a minor dip as a junior (83.3%), she is shooting a career-high 85.7% when sent to the free-throw line. So far this season, she made 12 of the 14 free throws she attempted.
Notre Dame also set a program record, with 330 points through their first three games. The Fighting Irish established immediate control with a 22-0 opening run, securing a 32-4 lead after the first quarter and a 56-21 advantage at halftime. The Fighting Irish shot 59 percent (41-of-69) from the field. Anaya Hardy scored a career-high 21 points on 10-of-14 shooting. Madison Rose added 19 points, while Leah Macy scored 17. Jacy Abii and reserve Jenica Lewis contributed 12 points apiece. For Detroit Mercy, Colleena Bryant provided 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting as a reserve.
Notre Dame opened the game on an 8-0 run over the first 1:47, utilizing two steals and two fast-break layups to prompt a Detroit Mercy timeout. The Fighting Irish started 8-of-11 from the field, holding the Titans scoreless for the first 5:50 of the game. Notre Dame then expanded its lead to 30-1 before Detroit Mercy recorded its first field goal with 1:17 remaining in the first quarter.
Notre Dame established a 32-4 first-quarter lead, setting a record for the largest opening-quarter differential under head coach Niele Ivey while limiting Detroit to 1-of-15 shooting. First-quarter leaders included Anaya Hardy, who scored nine points and four rebounds; Madison St. Rose, who added seven points; and Hannah Hidalgo, who scored six points, four rebounds, and two assists.
Anaya Hardy reached 21 points early in the fourth quarter following her fifth offensive rebound, securing her first career 20-point game. The Detroit native’s basket extended Notre Dame’s advantage to 93-44.
However, once again, more than the game, the talking point among the fans was Hidalgo’s performance.
Hidalgo Continues To Impress Fans With Her Strong Start To The Season
The Fighting Irish fans wasted no time in reacting to Hidalgo’s latest feat.
“Pretty soon Hannah will own every record. So happy she’s on my Irish ☘️,” one fan wrote in the comments on the post by Notre Dame women’s Basketball.
It’s not hard to see why they would make such a comment. The Atlantic Coast Conference selected Hannah Hidalgo as the women’s basketball player of the week and guard/forward Jacy Abii as the freshman of the week for the opening week of the regular season. The weekly conference honors are submitted via university nominations and finalized by a Blue Ribbon Panel vote.
During Notre Dame’s two victories over Villanova and Stonehill last week, Hidalgo averaged a conference-high 29.5 points. She opened the season in Rome, Italy, recording a game-high 32 points alongside seven rebounds, eight assists, and three steals against Villanova.
On Friday against Stonehill, she led the team with 27 points and 10 steals while securing six rebounds. With Friday’s performance, she surpassed 2,500 career points, becoming the sixth player in Atlantic Coast Conference history to reach that benchmark.
“Congratulations, keep going 👏,” another fan wrote online.
“Goatt,” one fan wrote.
“NOTRE DAMEEEE,” another fan wrote.
One fan wrote, “CONGRATULATIONS Lil one… You have Always been HER! Humbled one! 🙏🏾❤️🙏🏾”
And it’s true. Hannah Hidalgo has shown continuous improvement through her college career at Notre Dame. In the 2024-25 season, she averaged 23.8 PPG, and followed that with 25.3 PPG in the next season. And this season, she is playing her best yet, averaging a career high of 29.5 PPG, leading the Fighting Irish from the front.
Notre Dame plays DePaul in the SoFi Shamrock Classic at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, on Saturday, Nov. 14. The 1 p.m. ET game will air on NBC and Peacock.
Fans will hope that Hidalgo can continue her fine form in the upcoming games as well. The Fighting Irish face the Southern Jaguars after DePaul, and the West Virginia Mountaineers after the Jaguars.