No. 6 Notre Dame Faces No. 2 Vanderbilt in Sweet 16 Showdown
Notre Dame is headed to the Sweet 16 for a fifth straight season. The No. 6 Notre Dame squad meets No. 2 Vanderbilt on Friday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.
This Sweet 16 showdown carries a trip to the Elite Eight on the line. The game will be broadcast with Tiffany Greene, Carolyn Peck and Angel Gray on the call.
Path to the Sweet 16
The Irish advanced by beating third-seeded Ohio State, 83-73, in Columbus. Notre Dame showed a balanced attack with five players scoring in double figures.
Standout performances vs. Ohio State
- Hidalgo led the way with 26 points, 13 rebounds, eight steals and two assists.
- Vanessa de Jesus reached 15 points, her first double-figure NCAA Tournament scoring game.
- Cassandre Prosper and Iyana Moore each added 13 points.
- KK Bransford contributed 10 points off the bench in 21 minutes.
Hidalgo also set a program single-season scoring mark with 856 points. She passed Arike Ogunbowale, who had 849 points.
Hidalgo became just the second woman to record two NCAA Tournament games with eight or more steals. That defensive impact boosted the Irish in Columbus.
Matchup context
Vanderbilt enters at 29-4 this season. Notre Dame owns a 4-1 all-time advantage in the series.
The teams last met in the 2001 NCAA Regional Final. Current Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey was part of that 2001 squad.
Historical note
Notre Dame joins UConn and South Carolina as one of three programs to reach five consecutive Sweet 16s. The Irish continue to sustain high-level tournament success.
Reporting for Filmogaz.com.
