Hannah Hidalgo’s first NCAA tournament with Notre Dame ends, while South Carolina hangs on

The South Jersey-born freshman star was held to just 4-for-17 shooting, and was controversially asked by the refs to remove a nose ring. South Carolina had to hold off Indiana's late comeback.

Oregon State players celebrate as Hannah Higaldo laments the Beavers' win over Notre Dame.Read moreMary Altaffer / AP

by Jonathan Tannenwald

Published March 29, 2024, 9:12 p.m. ET

Hannah Hidalgo’s inaugural NCAA Tournament run came to a disappointing end on Friday after shooting just 4-for-17 in Notre Dame’s 70-65 loss to Oregon State in Albany, N.Y.

The Fighting Irish rarely got their offense in gear, shooting just 35.6% from the field. And their defense, so much the pride of the players and coach Niele Ivey, yielded 60.4% shooting by the Beavers.

There was also a controversy. Hidalgo missed the start of the second quarter after officials told her to remove a piece of jewelry from her nose, which required help from athletic trainers. While the NCAA bars players from wearing open jewelry on the court, Hidalgo usually wears tape over the piece.

“She’s had a nose ring the entire season. I wish we’d known that earlier,” Ivey told The Athletic after the game, adding she was told jewelry was made a point of emphasis for officials in the regional rounds.

USA Today reported that an official mentioned the matter to Hidalgo before the game, she asked if she could cover the ring up, and was told yes. But after the first quarter, Hidalgo was told she had to remove it.

“I thought it was B.S., because I’m on a run, I’m on a roll,” Hidalgo told ESPN. “I scored two baskets and then having to sit out for all that time, I was starting to get cold. I think (the officials) were worried about the wrong things. They should have reffed the game.”

She also told ESPN that the trainers didn’t know how to take the piece out, which led to her nose bleeding.

The South Jersey native finally returned to the game with 5 minutes, 51 seconds left in the second quarter — and Notre Dame scored the game’s next seven points. But after Fighting Irish star forward Maddie Westbeld was called for her third foul of the game with 4 minutes left in the second quarter, Oregon State regained control and led 32-31 at halftime.

Notably, the Beavers had a 23-9 edge in rebounds up to then, including matching Notre Dame’s six defensive boards with six offensive boards.

That momentum continued through the third quarter. Oregon State led, 48-42, with 4 minutes to go, and Hidalgo was just 2-for-11 from the floor. At one point in the period, Hidalgo drove the lane but was swatted by imposing Beavers forward Raegan Beers.

“They did a really good job on Hannah,” Westbeld said. “They did a really good job playing strategic, and I think we just had to get what we got.”

Notre Dame finally tied the score at 50 in the quarter’s final minute, but Oregon State’s Timea Gardiner responded with a three-pointer just before the buzzer to regain the lead.

It took until early in the fourth quarter for the Irish to finally claw their way to a lead, taking a 59-57 with 4:19 to go. That was as good as it got, though, as Oregon State stepped up again to take the win.

Notre Dame’s Sonia Citron led all scorers with 22 points, while Westbeld had 19. Oregon State’s Timea Gardner had 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Beers had 18 points and 13 rebounds.

“There’s so much good with this program, this team,” Ivey said of her squad that won the ACC Tournament. “We have great firepower coming back, and you can’t teach experience — especially for Hannah — and that’s what my entire team has received this year. It was a phenomenal year, and I’m really excited.”

Hidalgo certainly will be back, along with nose ring.

“Next season, I’m going to play with it still until they tell me to take it out,” she said.

South Carolina holds off Indiana

It looked for a long time like Dawn Staley’s South Carolina, the No. 1 overall seed, was going to steamroll No. 4 Indiana. But despite trailing 61-43 with six minutes left in the third quarter, the Hoosiers mounted a stunning rally and got within three points before the Gamecocks held on, 79-75.

South Carolina’s star center Kamilla Cardoso led all scorers with 22 points, and had 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. But Raven Johnson was the only other Gamecock to reach double figures in scoring with 14.

Five Indiana players hit double digits, led by Sydney Parrish’s 21 — 16 of which came in the second half. Chloe Moore-McNeil filled up the box score with 12 points, 8 assists, 6 assists, and 3 steals.

“We’ve got a resilient basketball team,” Staley said. “They don’t like losing. They are able to make plays on both sides of the basketball through great play, through shoddy play, through having a lead, having built the lead and then having it be a one-possession game, that they were able to play their way out of it. So we are the habits that we’ve created, good and bad.”

South Carolina and Oregon State will meet in the regional final on Sunday (1 p.m., 6abc) for the right to go to the Final Four in Cleveland next weekend.