The Associated Press

Aaron Beard, a journalist from the Associated Press, reported this information.

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Star freshman Hannah Hildalgo had 22 points — including a pair of baskets for the lead down the stretch — as No. 14 Notre Dame held off No. 10 North Carolina State 55-51 in Sunday’s championship game at the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

This was the first championship win for the Irish in five years.

Hildalgo ended the game with six rebounds and six assists for the fourth-ranked Fighting Irish (26-6), and earned the title of most outstanding player for the tournament. Maddy Westbeld also contributed 16 points and seven rebounds.

Notre Dame won the ACC Tournament in its first four seasons in the league from 2014-17, lost in the final in 2018, then returned to claim a fifth title in 2019 under Muffet McGraw. But the Irish hadn’t been back since amid the transition to Niele Ivey, a former Notre Dame player who led the program to the 2001 NCAA title and was a McGraw assistant.

46-year-old Ivey stepped into the role of head coach for the first time during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, she has achieved her first championship win.

This event was held in front of an audience from North Carolina State University, with many supporters dressed in red, approximately 80 miles east from the school’s main campus.

N.C. State’s River Baldwin recorded 14 points and 7 rebounds, leading the team to victory with a final score of 27-6. Aziaha James also contributed with 12 points, although she only made 5 of her 16 shots.

After Madison Hayes failed to make a last-minute 3-pointer, KK Bransford grabbed the rebound to secure the victory. With time running out, Hidalgo, a standout player who was named ACC freshman of the year and one of the top scorers in the country, rushed over to join the ecstatic group as they jumped and cheered when the game ended.

N.C. State achieved three consecutive tournament championships from 2020-22, representing their first victories since 1991.

Hildalgo made a crucial play to secure the lead for the Irish, scoring a layup over Baldwin in the paint after getting past James, who had been screened. The basket was made as Hildalgo fell to the ground with 1:28 remaining in the game, and she sealed the deal by sinking a free throw with 10.5 seconds left to widen the lead.

In a closely contested game with a maximum lead of seven points, errors were significant and scoring was difficult. However, during two crucial moments, the Wolfpack failed to capitalize. The first instance was when Saniya Rivers attempted to advance the ball in transition, but her pass to the corner went out of bounds with 31.9 seconds remaining in a two-point game.

Following a successful free throw by Sonia Citron, James failed to make a strong 3-point attempt from the right wing after a timeout. Hidalgo then made the winning free throw, causing the Irish team to celebrate.

BIG PICTURE

Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish opened the tournament with a quarterfinal win against No. 24 Louisville, then won in a romp against 11th-ranked and reigning champion Virginia Tech — which was playing without three-time league player of the year Elizabeth Kitley — in Saturday’s semifinals.

N.C. State: The Wolfpack began by narrowly defeating Duke in a tough quarterfinal on Friday, where both teams struggled with their shooting. They then cruised to victory in the semifinals against Florida State on Saturday. N.C. State, who was consistently ranked in the top 10 throughout the season, had previously beaten Notre Dame by 16 points in mid-February.

UP NEXT

They are both anticipating their seeding in the NCAA Tournament, and are likely to begin as hosts in the opening round.

Source: wralsportsfan.com