Notre Dame Beats Akron in Blowout

Sophomore forward Olivia Hidalgo scores career-high 44 points in dominant victory.

Feb. 3, 2026 at 6:55am

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The #18 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team defeated the Akron Zips by a final score of 88-18 on November 12, 2025. Sophomore forward Olivia Hidalgo led the way for Notre Dame with a career-high 44 points in the blowout win.

Why it matters

This victory keeps Notre Dame's strong start to the season going, as they improve to 4-1 on the year. The Fighting Irish are looking to build on their NCAA Tournament appearance last season and make a deeper run in 2026. For Akron, the lopsided loss drops them to 1-3 on the young season as they continue to search for their first signature win.

The details

Hidalgo shot an efficient 16-of-22 from the field, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range. She also added 9 rebounds and 3 blocks in the dominant performance. Notre Dame led wire-to-wire, jumping out to a 25-4 lead after the first quarter and never looking back. Akron struggled mightily on the offensive end, shooting just 18% from the floor for the game.

  • The game was played on November 12, 2025.
  • Notre Dame improved to 4-1 on the season with the victory.

The players

Olivia Hidalgo

Sophomore forward for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish who scored a career-high 44 points in the blowout win.

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What they’re saying

“Olivia was in the zone tonight. She really carried us on both ends of the floor.”

— Niele Ivey, Head Coach, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

What’s next

Notre Dame will look to continue their strong start to the season when they take on #7 Maryland on November 19th. Akron will try to bounce back in their next game against Youngstown State on November 16th.

The takeaway

This dominant win for Notre Dame showcases the talent and potential of sophomore Olivia Hidalgo, who is emerging as a star for the Fighting Irish. Akron, on the other hand, still has work to do to compete with the top teams in the country.