Hannah Hidalgo stars for Notre Dame in a rout of JuJu Watkins’ USC
The South Jersey-born star piled up 24 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and five steals to lead the Fighting Irish to a 74-61 win in the nationally televised showcase game.
LOS ANGELES — Hannah Hidalgo scored 24 points, and No. 6 Notre Dame defeated JuJu Watkins and third-ranked Southern California, 74-61, on Saturday in a marquee matchup on the West Coast.
Watkins and the Trojans (4-1) fell behind early and were down 21 points in the fourth quarter. She had 24 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Hidalgo came out shooting well, hitting 5 of 8 from the floor in the first quarter and had 16 points at the break. She added six rebounds and eight assists. Hidalgo’s backcourt mate, Olivia Miles, added 20 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists for the Fighting Irish (5-0).
Even though Hidalgo outshone her, Watkins’ imprint was all over the game. A documentary about her life aired on NBC leading into the nationally televised game.
A buzz arose when Snoop Dogg walked in shortly before tipoff wearing a jacket in USC colors with Watkins' name and number on the front and back. Her sister, Mali, sang the national anthem.
» READ MORE: South Jersey’s Hannah Hidalgo is off to a flying start this season with Notre Dame
Takeaways
Notre Dame struck quickly and raced to a 20-10 lead in the opening quarter. Even after cooling off a bit, the Fighting Irish never trailed and stayed poised when the Trojans got within three in the second and third quarters.
USC was without starting guard Kennedy Smith, whose defense on Hidalgo would have proven valuable. The school announced shortly before tipoff that she had a surgical procedure and will return later this season.
Key moment
The Trojans got within three points three times, but the Irish remained poised and never gave up the lead.
» READ MORE: A look back at Hannah Hidalgo's breakout freshman season at Notre Dame
Key stats
Notre Dame’s defense forced the Trojans into 21 turnovers, which led to 22 points for the Irish. Watkins, Kaleigh Heckel, and Talia von Oelhoffen had five each. USC was just 1 of 13 from three-point range
Up next
Notre Dame plays TCU on Nov. 29 in the Cayman Islands Classic. USC plays Seton Hall in the Women’s Acrisure Holiday Invitational on Nov. 27 in Palm Desert, Calif.