FORT WORTH, Texas — Hannah Hidalgo had already filled up the stat sheet in a way few players ever have. In the end, it was a single instinctive play — not one of her record-breaking steals — that sent Notre Dame on.
Hidalgo delivered a sensational performance with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 steals, adding a crucial assist in the final minute to lift the Fighting Irish to a 67-64 win over Vanderbilt in the Sweet 16 on Friday night.
With the game tied late, Hidalgo made the decisive sequence happen. Sprinting between two defenders, she elevated to snag a high inbound pass and, without hesitation, slipped a bounce pass to Cassandre Prosper for a go-ahead layup with 22 seconds remaining.
That moment proved to be the difference.
Sixth-seeded Notre Dame (25-10) now advances to face top-seeded and undefeated UConn on Sunday, with a Final Four berth at stake.
Vanderbilt had opportunities to respond, turning to its star scorer Mikayla Blakes, who finished with 26 points despite a difficult night shooting. But after Prosper’s basket, Blakes lost control of the ball on a drive, then missed a contested three-pointer at the buzzer that would have tied the game.
The second-seeded Commodores (29-5), making their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2009, couldn’t complete the comeback.
Hidalgo, one of the nation’s leading scorers, refused to let the season end.
“We didn’t come this far to be done now,” she said. “I kept telling everyone we were going to find a way so we could keep playing together.”
Her impact was felt everywhere. The junior guard recorded her third career triple-double — an unusual one fueled by steals — and set a new NCAA single-season record in the process. She needed just four takeaways to break the previous mark and reached it within the first quarter.
Her defensive dominance changed the game early. During a key stretch in the second quarter, Hidalgo ripped the ball away from a Vanderbilt player for a breakaway layup, then intercepted another pass moments later. A third steal in quick succession led to yet another easy basket, helping Notre Dame build a double-digit lead.
Teammate Cassandre Prosper, who added 15 points, said Hidalgo’s energy drives the entire group.
“She sets the tone for us,” Prosper said. “When she’s playing with that kind of intensity, everyone else has to match it.”
Vanderbilt struggled badly out of the gate, missing its first nine three-point attempts and shooting just 3-for-20 overall early in the second quarter. Freshman Aubrey Galvan helped spark a turnaround, scoring 24 points and igniting a 12-2 run with back-to-back threes after a creative, off-balance layup.
The Commodores clawed back into the game and finally pulled even in the fourth quarter when Blakes converted a three-point play and Galvan knocked down another shot from deep.
From there, the game tightened into a possession-by-possession battle.
After Hidalgo set up the go-ahead score, Vanderbilt still had chances. The Commodores extended the game by fouling, but couldn’t capitalize. Prosper split a pair of free throws, leaving the door open, yet Vanderbilt’s final sequence fell short.
Blakes, who struggled to find her rhythm throughout and finished 7-of-26 from the field, couldn’t deliver in the closing seconds.
“I missed shots — that happens,” Blakes said. “But in a moment like that, I’ve got to be better. I saw a lane, but I just lost it.”
Notre Dame now moves one step closer to the Final Four, powered by a performance from Hidalgo that combined relentless defense, timely offense, and one perfectly executed play when it mattered most.
