Everyone wanted to see the Notre Dame and USC women’s basketball teams play each other. The biggest reason was to see Hannah Hidalgo and JuJu Watkins go up against each other.
We got the first of what will be at least two meetings between the teams Saturday in Los Angeles, and the Irish emerged victorious over the Trojans, 74-61. With both teams expected to be national championship contenders, this was the biggest win of the season so far.
The Irish (5-0) led wire-to-wire against the Trojans, who only tied the game twice (4-1) and not at all after the 4:07 mark of the first quarter. That was the result of the Irish beating the Trojans with superior defense and a high-paced offense that took far more advantage of its opportunities. Their 17-9 steals advantage contributed mightily to their 20-8 advantage in fast break points.
Hidalgo scored 16 of her 24 points in the first half. She also had a game-high five steals, but Liatu King made up for missing the Irish’s last game by collecting four of her own steals as well as a game-high 11 rebounds.
olivia miles collected 14 of her 20 points in the second half. That included hitting a career-high four 3-pointers for the third time in her collegiate career and the second straight game in which she reached that mark.
Watkins also scored 24 points, 19 of which came in the second half. Kiki Iriafen had 15 points and finished one rebound shy of a double-double. Talia von Oelhoffen, who helped Oregon State eliminate the Irish in last season’s NCAA Tournament, added 10 points.
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