Los Angeles, CA – With questions looming around how both USC and Notre Dame decreasing team roster would perform with early season injuries, there was no question that this weekend Los Angeles was the place to be for women’s college basketball. USC and Notre Dame started it off with the Fighting Irish upsetting Trojans by a double digit margin, 74 to 61. Tomorrow No 4. UCLA and No. 1 South Carolina will finish the two day SoCal doubleheader, giving basketball fans a potential preview of women’s March Madness in November.
Coach Gottleib gathered herself from her team’s first loss to give gratitude to Notre Dame, in particular Coach Niele Ivey, for playing this game early in their season. “ This game was easy to schedule than you think because of our relationship and shared vision for what is good for basketball,” Coach Gottlieb announced along with plans of playing next year at Notre Dame.
USC had a harder task to fill shoes of whom Coach Gottlieb described as this team’s best perimeter defender and starting freshman, Kennedy Smith. Notre Dame did not make it easy with their dynamic duo of guards, Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles ousting USC as the higher seeded team. Hidalgo led all scorers with 16 in the first half, opening the game with back to back buckets.
“I don’t want to take the game for granted, Hidalgo said. “I give all glory to God because God allows me to play basketball.”
Coach Ivey not shocked by Hidalgo’s huge 24 -point performance commended her on-the -court leadership and for guarding every position. “She just so feisty, so energetic, it’s just contagious for our team,” Coach Ivey added.
USC expected either to get a “signature win” or “exposed” as Coach Gottlieb grappled with a stunned upset after going undefeated in their first four competitions. Sophomore sensation JuJu Watkins on the rise to scoring double digits could not lead her team as previous games despite another struggle shooting game. “It wasn’t the prettiest for me,” Watkins said, “but I’ll continue to lock in.”
Highly regarded graduate transfer KiKi Iriafen continued her streak of double-digit scoring alongside JuJu but both were outmatched by Notre Dame’s small roster and smaller players.
“This group is special,” Coach Ivey reflecting on her team’s “complete game” of both ends.
Known for her offense, Notre Dame’s Sonia Citron said, “this was just an early opportunity to show what we can do and I think we did that.”
Holding JuJu in first half to 5 points on 2 from 9 shooting while silencing USC home crowd most of the game plus every attempt for USC to comeback in the game.
Even while welcoming some of the biggest celebrities in the building that included regular supporters of JuJu—Michael B. Jordan and Snoop Dogg did not seem to phase or star struck Notre Dame from their first big matchup of the season. WNBA stars, former Women of Troy, and even talent scouts showed up to watch future WNBA prospects like JuJu and Hidalgo in an early head-to-head competition.
With a new NBC docuseries and celebrity fans, JuJu considered as the cooler head did not prevail with her team winning. Nor did she have much to say about Citron or Notre Dame defense against her.
“Hidalgo did what was expected and roaming everywhere,” Coach Gottlieb said. “But you feel like you’re doing a decent job on Miles and she goes crazy in second half.”
Miles and Hidalgo combined for 63 points outscoring USC’s entire team.
After rallying up 24 points to match top scorer Hidalgo in an already decided game, Watkins said, “I just think this is a learning experience for the whole team. So much to learn, as far as chemistry and everything,”
