CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Hannah Hidalgo scored 18 of her 24 points before halftime and No. 3 Notre Dame knocked down 13 3-pointers to beat No. 17 North Carolina 76-66 on Sunday.
Hidalgo joined with her fellow All-America backcourt mate Olivia Miles in helping the Irish (12-2, 3-0 ACC) win their seventh straight game. Hidalgo and Miles each made five 3s, with Miles hitting multiple either off the dribble or on step-backs against nearby defenders on the way to 19 points.
Liatu King added 15 rebounds to lead a strong rebounding effort for Notre Dame.
Maria Gakdeng had 16 points for the Tar Heels (13-3, 1-2), while Lexi Donarski added 13 points with three 3s.
Takeaways
Notre Dame: Notre Dame got back Maddy Westbeld from a foot injury that had sidelined her all season. The fifth-year graduate, who has 120 career starts, was scoreless in 13 minutes but could play a big role for the preseason ACC favorite.
UNC: The glass was a problem for the Tar Heels, who were outrebounded 40-28 and outscored 20-8 on second-chance points.
Key moment
The Irish took control in the second quarter, outscoring the Tar Heels 22-12 to build a 14-point halftime margin. The highlight was Hidalgo banking in a scooping shot underneath Gakdeng’s outstretched arm late in the quarter on a play that left the confident sophomore shaking her head in seeming disbelief.
UNC got as close as five early in the third quarter but never made up that gap.
Key stat
The Irish made 13 of 21 3-pointers, including 12 of 16 entering the fourth quarter. Notre Dame entered with a 42.9% 3-point percentage that ranked No. 1 nationally.
Up next
Both teams play again Thursday. The Irish host Wake Forest while the Tar Heels host 14th-ranked rival Duke.
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