When Notre Dame’s sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo forced a turnover on the ground against Texas’ senior guard Rori Harmon, she threw the ball behind her without looking back or getting up. Hidalgo’s teammate, senior guard Olivia Miles, was waiting under the basket to sink an easy layup.
That’s just the kind of night the Fighting Irish had.
Coming off of a two-game losing streak after losses to TCU and Utah, Notre Dame was hungry for a win. Led by Hidalgo and Miles, the No. 10 team defeated No. 4 Texas in the Women’s SEC-ACC Challenge after a back and forth game that went into overtime.
This wasn’t the first time Texas sophomore forward Madison Booker and Hidalgo met on the court. The pair were in the same recruiting class, played together on Team USA two summers in a row and were both named All-Americans in 2023.
It was a battle of the dynamic duos, with Booker and Harmon leading the Texas charge against Hidalgo and Miles. Booker put up a team-high of 20 points while Harmon managed only six, though still contributing in playmaking and on defense. But the Longhorns could not foil Hidalgo and Miles, who hauled in 30 and 18 points, respectively.
“She got hot. She got all the loose balls, and she was making shots and making reads and doing all three levels,” Harmon said about Hidalgo. “She had a great game.”
Notre Dame protected the paint, shutting down the Longhorns’ favorite area of the court. Texas also handed the Fighting Irish 23 turnovers which allowed them to capitalize and add 24 points to their tally for the night.
There was a moment of hope for the Longhorns when Harmon drew a foul with just one second remaining in regulation. A missed shot by Hidalgo sent the game into overtime but the Longhorns could not shift Notre Dame’s momentum and allowed the Fighting Irish to capture the win.
Longhorn head coach Vic Schaefer said he was proud of his team, but admitted they did not play well. He emphasized how much the turnovers hurt Texas and how he hopes this will be something uncharacteristic for his team throughout this season.
“I knew we’d find out a little bit about us tonight, and I think we did,” Schaefer said after the game. “So now it’s ‘how do you respond?’ And I’ll be anxious to see them tomorrow in the gym and see how they respond.”
Texas will travel to Harrisonburg, Virginia, to face James Madison University on Sunday at 1 p.m., with hopes of a bounce back fresh on each player’s mind.
