One cinderella is crushed but another one emerges. Minnesota will never forget that game winner against the Iowa Hawkeyes but their journey ends here, bowing out against title contenders and overall No. 2 seed UCLA. Hannah Hidalgo took over for the underdog Notre Dame and there was nothing that Vanderbilt could do. 

Hidalgo set up a mouthwatering clash against the unbeaten UConn. The Huskies played one of their rustiest games against the North Carolina Tar Heels but managed to scrape through. Let’s have a look at an entertaining day of women’s college basketball.

Hannah Hidalgo Upsets Vanderbilt With A Near Quadruple-Double

It was the Hannah Hidalgo Show. Hidalgo had 31 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals and 7 assists. It was just the second 30-point triple double in NCAA Tournament history after Caitlin Clark. With her fourth steal in Friday’s win, Hidalgo also set the NCAA record for steals in a single season at 193. That topped the mark established by Lamar University’s Chastadie Barrs in 2019. That included an assist on the winning bucket in the final minute. 

The Vandy defense was almost too focused on Hidalgo and she found a way to thread a pass to Cassandre Prospoer near the basket.  The game wasn’t over there, as Vanderbilt had every chance to tie the game. Aubrey Galván and Mikayla Blakes missed game-tying three-pointers and the game finished with a 67-64 victory for No. 6 Notre Dame over the No. 2 Vanderbilt Commodores. Blakes led Vanderbilt with 26 points and 8 rebounds, while Galvan had 24 points and 7 rebounds. Prosper joined Hidalgo in double figures for Notre Dame with 15 points and 5 rebounds. 

It was an emotional moment for Hidalgo. She rushed toward her  head coach Niele Ivey for a long hug, during which Ivey covered her face to hide tears. This was Ivey’s first Sweet Sixteen victory as Notre Dame’s leader and it came in her 6th year. For SEC Coach Of The Year Shea Ralph, It was a disappointment as her team conceded 23 turnovers, which turned out to be the crucial statistic of the game. 

UConn Power Through Tough Start To Defeat UNC

UConn led by 8 after the first half. But the 28-20 scoreline did not tell the whole story. UNC led after the first quarter 12-11 and UConn only had it back after a scoring spree from Sarah Strong. She made four consecutive field goals in a two-minute span right after Blanca Quiñonez put UConn ahead to stay with a layup early in the second quarter. Overall, UConn only shot 36% from the floor in the first and it was the lowest-scoring half for the Huskies in the season. 

But then Geno Auriemma lit some fire under his team as UConn came out of the break with a 12-0 run. Azzi Fudd came to life after going 1-7 in the first half. She scored a layup and a 3-pointer to finish with 10 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds. Strong led the way with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Ultimately, it was UConn completely dominating from there on, winning the game 63-42.

For North Carolina, Indya Nivar had 20 points,8 rebounds and 4 steals but without any support. No player reached double digits as the team shot a season-low 28% and conceded 24 turnovers. UConn advances to its 30th Elite Eight, setting up a clash against the marching Notre Dame. 

UCLA Dominate Minnesota To End Their Cinderella Run

These two are familiar foes from the Big 10. UCLA and Minnesota last faced off in the regular season in January, with the Bruins winning 76-58. A similar scoreline awaited Minnesota as the Bruins shrugged them off for another Elite 8 berth. UCLA was led by Kiki Rice, who had 21 points and 3 assists, while Lauren Betts scored 16 points and had 5 rebounds as UCLA overcame Minnesota 80-56.

For the Gophers, Grace Grocholski had 12 points while Sophie Hart had 11. It was UCLA’s paint play going against Minnesota’s outside shooting. Lauren Betts danced around defenders for tough finishes while Minnesota tried to clog the paint and double team Betts. The Gophers did succeed in frustrating Cori Close and the Bruins by shooting 50% from the three point line but ultimately UCLA kept up.  

They even pumped the brakes on the Gophers’ shooting in the second half as no free jumpers meant they struggled to score. Despite struggling from the three-point line, they recovered with 13 offensive rebounds, with 5 coming from Sienna Betts and 5 from Angela Dugalic. Those were critical for the Bruins to take control and glide through to the Elite 8.