Skip to main content
notre-dame logo

Notre Dame women's basketball tramples trap game narrative in blowout of Miami

IMG_9992by:Tyler Horka•02/20/25•

tbhorka

miles (2)
Notre Dame point guard Olivia Miles. (Photo courtesy of Notre Dame athletics)

In a way, Notre Dame can exhale. Not because the job is finished. Far from it. Still three ACC games left. But none of them are against a team as feeble as Miami. The Fighting Irish got through their final “trap” game of the regular season in convincing fashion.

They beat the Hurricanes, 82-42, in Coral Gables on Thursday night.

The last two times Miami tipped off, the Canes lost by a combined three points to ranked opponents. Notre Dame came in with the No. 1 ranking and did not play down to its level of competition like No. 10 NC State and No. 23 Florida State.

The Irish started the game on a 10-0 run. Miami countered with a six-point spurt of its own to pull within four, but soon enough it was 18-6 at the end of the first quarter. It only got worse from there for the home team. And much, much better for the visitors. The Irish were absolutely as advertised.

For the second game in a row since taking on the top spot in the Associated Press Poll, Notre Dame (24-2, 15-0 ACC) looked deserving of the target on its back and completely capable of protecting it. How could it not be when the unstoppable guard trio of Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron go for a combined 51 points, 19 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals?

When those three put up numbers like that and everyone else are anything more than complete dead ends, then Notre Dame can win every game it finds itself in. That’s especially true because of the team defense head coach Niele Ivey is able to get out of her group.

Miami’s Haley Cavinder went into the matchup having scored in double digits in 21 straight games. She was averaging 18.8 points per game prior to tipoff. Notre Dame, with primary defensive harassment from Citron, limited her to 8 points on 4 of 15 shooting. The Hurricanes did not make a three. They shot 0-of-16 from deep. They’ll see Irish hands in their faces in the nightmares all weekend.

Ivey said one of the game plan goals was to contest every shot possible. Mission accomplished.

Even tasked with slowing down Miami’s best player, Citron started a perfect 5 of 5 shooting and ended up making 8 of her 12 attempts for 19 points. That led all Irish scorers. Hidalgo was close behind with 18. She made all 7 of her free throw attempts. Miles was right around her averages with 14 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Graduate senior forward Liatu King was just above her averages with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Even if Cavinder hit her averages like Miles or even exceeded them like King, it wouldn’t have been enough. For the 19th consecutive game, Notre Dame was Notre Dame. The Irish go for 20 straight wins Sunday at No. 13 NC State.

You may also like