Notre Dame Hands Stanford Most Lopsided Loss In Program History

Notre Dame, Ind. – The odds were stacked firmly against Stanford heading into Thursday night’s game at Notre Dame. The Cardinal (11-11, 3-8 ACC) were long shots to stay close with the Fighting Irish (20-2, 11-0), let alone pull off an upset, and they found out why in a 96-47 drubbing while suffering the worst loss in program history.

The Irish started slowly and led just 17-8 at the end of a first quarter that saw Hannah Hidalgo miss her first six shots before getting her first bucket late in the first quarter. The national player of the year candidate soon got rolling, going 4 for 4 in the second quarter to help propel Notre Dame to a 20-0 run to blow the game open.

Hidalgo hit nine consecutive field goals, including a 3, and finished 5 for 5 at the free throw line to score a game-high 24 points. She has scored at least 20 points in 18 of her 20 games this season.

Maddy Westbeld had a hot hand in the first half as well. The 6-3 forward, playing in her ninth game since missing the first 13 games of the season with a foot injury, was 5 for 5 from the floor to score 11 of her 13 points in the first half. She reached double figures for the fourth time this season after making all four of her second quarter shots, including her only 3, in the second quarter.

After making just 7 of 19 shots in the first quarter, Notre Dame hit 13 of 17 in the second quarter, including all four 3-pointers to go 20 of 36 (55%) overall and 5 of 8 from behind the arc in the first half. They outscored the Cardinal 33-7 in the second and by a combined 59-22 in the second and third quarters combined. Notre Dame led 50-22 at halftime.

Olivia Miles was on her game as well. The 5-10 point guard registered her fifth 20-point game of the season by drilling 4 of 6 from 3-point range and connecting on all four of her free throw attempts.

Cassandre Prosper also finished in double figures with 13 points. She was 4 for 5 both from the field and from the foul line for her first double digit game since Jan. 16.

Liatu King played the game wearing a clear plastic protective facemask after taking an elbow to her nose in last Sunday’s win over Louisville. She had eight points and eight rebounds.

Meanwhile, Emma Risch will miss the rest of the season due to a lingering hip injury that forced her to miss most of last season. Risch had scar tissue and cartilage removed last week.

Notre Dame will put its 15-game winning streak on the line on Sunday when it hosts No. 21 Cal. The Golden Bears (19-5, 7-4) lost 70-63 at Louisville Thursday night.