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DULUTH, Ga. — She didn’t need an introduction. The banner was already there, the crown already placed. And on Wednesday night at Gas South Arena, Hannah Hidalgo made absolutely sure nobody in the building forgot why she earned it.
The ACC’s reigning Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year delivered a performance that was equal parts masterclass and statement, pouring in 28 points, pulling down 8 rebounds, and distributing 5 assists as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish dismantled the Miami Hurricanes, 69-54, advancing to Day 3 of the ACC Tournament. This wasn’t a surprise — but it was a spectacle.
A Building That Was Ready
Before the first whistle blew, Gas South Arena had a charge to it. Notre Dame’s traveling contingent rolled in dressed in bright green and gold, filling the hallways and the stands with the unmistakable energy of a program that knows it belongs on this stage. The Fighting Irish band arrived in full costume — glittering green pieces, high energy, and an extra jolt of electricity after Hidalgo’s back-to-back Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors were announced earlier in the tournament week. They weren’t just there to watch. They were there to celebrate.
Miami’s fans answered the call too. The Hurricanes arrived in Duluth as 10.5-point underdogs — a number that does something to a fanbase. It either deflates them or galvanizes them. Miami’s supporters chose the latter, packing their section and making sure their team felt every bit of the support they would need to pull off the upset.
The stage was set. The question was whether anyone could slow down Hidalgo long enough to let Miami make a game of it.
A Fast Start, Then a Shift in Power
Miami came out swinging. The Hurricanes were first on the board, landing an early punch that briefly made the crowd wonder if the underdog story was about to write itself. But Notre Dame is a different kind of team when it gets its footing — and it didn’t take long.
Once the Irish settled in, the tone changed completely. The first quarter became a back-and-forth battle with real edge to it, both teams trading runs and refusing to blink. Hidalgo was locked in from the opening possession, and there was a growing sense in the arena that getting her to cool off wasn’t going to be a realistic option. She was in one of those grooves where every read was right, every move deliberate, every bucket feeling inevitable.
The second quarter saw Notre Dame hit full stride. The Irish pushed their lead, controlled the paint, and started converting at a clip that Miami simply couldn’t match. By halftime, Notre Dame had hung 37 points on the board — shooting 16-of-32 from the field, 3-of-9 from three, and out-muscling the Hurricanes in the paint with 18 of those 37 points coming from inside. Miami kept pace well enough to stay in the conversation at 23 points at the break, going 9-of-24 from the field and 2-of-8 from three — but the field goal gap told the real story. The Hurricanes were working harder for less, and they knew it.
For Miami, the subplot heading into the game was Ra Shaya Kyle. Coming off a double-double against Stanford just 24 hours earlier, the question was whether Kyle could once again shoulder the load and carry her team into the next round. She finished with 11 points and a remarkable 15 rebounds — a warrior’s performance on the glass — but the offensive firepower around her wasn’t enough to tilt the scales.
The Second Half: Miami Loses Steam, Notre Dame Pulls Away
If the first half was a fight, the second half was a slow exhale — at least for Miami. The Hurricanes showed flashes, kept grinding, and never completely abandoned the effort. But there was a familiar pattern emerging: the same tendency to lift their foot off the gas that had allowed Stanford to surge back the previous day resurfaced at the worst possible moment. Against a lukewarm opponent, that might be survivable. Against a Notre Dame team already running hot, it was a death sentence.
The Irish smelled it and accelerated. Their lead grew, the margin widened, and by the time the fourth quarter clock was winding down, Miami was fighting not to win but to finish with dignity — and they did. The hustle was real. The effort was there until the final buzzer. But 15 points was simply too large a mountain to climb in the closing minutes against a team playing with Hidalgo leading the charge.
Notre Dame closed it out, 69-54.
Standout Performers
NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH
Hannah Hidalgo — 28 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists There are nights where a player’s résumé precedes them, and then there are nights where they go out and justify every word of it. This was the latter. Hidalgo was the engine, the executor, and the closer all at once — controlling pace on both ends of the floor with the confidence of someone who has been in this moment before and fully expects to be in it again. The ACC didn’t hand her those awards. She earned them, and she proved it again Wednesday night.
Malaya Cowles — 2 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists The stat line won’t draw many headlines, but Cowles did the kind of work that wins games. Twelve rebounds in a tournament setting is a gritty, unglamorous contribution that quietly shapes the outcome. She gave Notre Dame a consistent presence on the glass that helped maintain possession and keep Miami’s second-chance opportunities to a minimum.
Iyana Moore — 11 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist Moore provided the secondary scoring punch Notre Dame needed to keep Miami’s defense from locking entirely onto Hidalgo. Eleven points off balanced, efficient play kept the Hurricanes honest and prevented them from loading up on one assignment.
MIAMI HURRICANES
Gal Raviv — 15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist Raviv was Miami’s most productive offensive performer on the night, keeping the Hurricanes in the fight with timely buckets and an offensive presence that demanded attention. In a game where leads felt insurmountable, her 15 points were a reminder that Miami never stopped competing.
Ahnay Adams — 13 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists Adams was sharp as a playmaker and scorer, finishing with 13 points and a team-high 4 assists. She was one of the few Hurricanes who found consistent rhythm on offense, giving Miami a real co-star alongside Raviv in the losing effort.
Ra Shaya Kyle — 11 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists Kyle’s 15 rebounds on back-to-back days is the kind of physical performance that deserves recognition regardless of the final score. She was relentless on the glass, gave Miami every extra possession she could manufacture, and refused to let the size battle become one-sided. The production was there. The supporting cast just couldn’t match it when it mattered most.
What’s Next
Notre Dame advances to face NC State in Day 3 of the ACC Tournament. The Irish roll in with momentum, a healthy Hidalgo, and the kind of confidence that comes from handling business decisively. NC State will need a game plan that no one has successfully executed yet this week — finding a way to slow down the best player in the ACC.
As for Miami, the Hurricanes exit with a résumé that includes toughness, fight, and a pair of performers in Raviv and Adams who proved they can score at this level. Kyle’s back-to-back double-digit rebounding performances were a highlight of the tournament’s early days. This group has something to build on.
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