If defense wins championships, Notre Dame is on the way to one, having held NC State to just nine points in the third quarter of a game dominated by defense.
The Pack (20-10, 13-5 ACC) ended the regular season with a huge win over Pittsburgh to earn the No. 4 seed in the ACC tournament and looked to continue this momentum. But instead, NC State ran into a red-hot Fighting Irish team — who came into the tournament on a six-game winning streak — and lost 81-63, getting knocked out of the ACC tournament in its first game.
The Irish (22-9, 12-6 ACC) were led by ACC Player and Defensive Player of the Year, guard Hannah Hidalgo, who went to work against the Wolfpack. She started the first period 5-of-6 from the field, scoring 10 points on the way to her sixth straight 25-plus point game in a row. It wasn’t just Hidalgo on the offensive side today, as guard Iyana Moore dropped 20 points, 17 of which came in the first half.
Moore and Hidalgo dominated early on, as they combined for 33 of the Irish’s 40 points in the first half. The pair also combined for five steals, en route to the Pack turning the ball over 17 times. 10 of those were from steals, which Notre Dame was able to capitalize on by scoring 16 points off turnovers.
Despite the early deficit the red-and-white found themselves in, it refused to give up on the fight. The Wolfpack’s defense stepped up, causing a 0-of-6 shooting slump from the Fighting Irish, which helped NC State cut the deficit to eight heading into halftime.
With the momentum swinging NC State’s way heading into the second half, it seemed they might be able to cut even further into this deficit. Instead, the first play of the half ended in the Pack overthrowing the ball, leading to a turnover. These struggles continued throughout the beginning of the second half, as NC State shot 3-of-10 and scored just nine points to end the period, while Notre Dame scored 22 points.
After the 3rd quarter, all hope seemed lost as Notre Dame’s lead ballooned to 28 with 6:24 remaining in the game. NC State cut the lead to 18 after both teams went further into their depth charts, but just like the first time these teams met, Notre Dame’s defense won the day.
Next up, NC State awaits Selection Sunday, March 15, to see who its first NCAA Tournament opponent will be and where that game will be played. The tournament bracket will be revealed on ESPN at 8 p.m.
