Hannah Hidalgo leads Paul VI to victory over Camden Catholic in NJSIAA semifinal

Hidalgo led the way for a team still seeking to triumph in the championship.

Paul VI senior Hannah Hidalgo comes off the bench during introductions before their NJSIAA sectional semifinal against Camden Catholic.Read moreTom Gralish / Staff Photographer

by Matt Ryan

Published Feb. 27, 2023, 8:38 p.m. ET

In the semifinals of the girls NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public A tournament on Monday night, No. 2 seed Paul VI advanced to the championship game with a 65-53 home win over No. 6 Camden Catholic. The Eagles will face No. 1 St. John Vianney on Wednesday at Seneca High School with an opportunity to win their first sectional title since 1989.

Paul VI was led by ESPN’s No. 5 recruit Hannah Hidalgo, a senior guard who finished with 25 points. Junior guard Shariah Baynes added 17 points, and sophomore forward Azanah Campbell had 13.

For much of the first half, Camden Catholic stayed within one possession of the Eagles, even leading, 14-12, in the second quarter, but then Hidalgo erupted. Toward the end of the half, she scored at least 13 straight for the Eagles, giving them a 34-26 advantage at the break.

The third quarter was back and forth, but the Eagles kept their multiple possession lead. In the fourth, the Irish got within seven, but Paul VI kept responding and closed out the victory.

Last season, the Eagles made it to the sectional championship game, but lost to St. John Vianney, 69-50. That game left a sour taste in their mouths. But on Wednesday, the players have a shot at redemption.

“We’ve been waiting a whole year for this rematch,” head coach Orlando Hidalgo said. “Last year, it was our very first time going that far, and it’s a whole different experience. We had a lot of new players, so we were not prepared for the moment. We did fight hard, but we didn’t have enough bullets in our gun. So this time, I think we’re a little bit more prepared. We know what to expect.”

“I think it means a lot more to us because we lost to them last year, and it was just tough,” Hannah Hidalgo said. “So now, we get a chance to redeem ourselves. Everybody’s older, and everybody wants this.”

McDonald’s All-American jersey

With halftime coming to a close, Hidalgo returned to the bench as per usual. As she was sitting there, she looked up and noticed something at midcourt. Paul VI president Michael Chambers was standing there holding her McDonald’s All-American jersey.

She was met with a standing ovation from the crowd and posed for a picture at midcourt before returning to the bench.

“It was cool to have it in this environment and in this community,” Hannah Hidalgo said. “It was just great.”

Toward the end of January, Hidalgo got word that she was a McDonald’s All-American, becoming the second player in school history to earn the honor. Entering Monday’s game, the 5-foot-7 guard was averaging 29.4 points, 7.5 steals, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists.

Before Hidalgo sets off to Notre Dame, she already boasts an impressive resume. In addition to being a McDonald’s All-American, Hidalgo was a member of the USA Basketball U17 team that won the gold medal in Debrecen, Hungary.

“We thought about being a McDonald’s All-American or a USA team player, but it’s all dreams until it comes a reality,” Orlando Hidalgo, her dad, said. “So to be able to experience her getting a McDonald’s All-American [jersey] was an awesome experience because it’s something that, it was on our bucket list to get, and so far she has achieved all her dreams. And we got one more thing, which is to win a state championship, so it’s there, now we just got to handle our business.”