Notre Dame women’s basketball entered the day looking to lock up its second ACC regular season crown under Niele Ivey, and solidify its case for the top overall seed for March Madness.
The former, however, will have to wait at least another game.
In what was a back-and-forth contest between two of the league’s top teams, No. 12 NC State knocked off No. 1 Notre Dame in double overtime at Reynolds Coliseum on Sunday behind Zoe Brooks’ game-high 33 points on 9 of 20 shooting from the field.
NC State outscored Notre Dame 12-3 in the second overtime period, led by Brook’s five points. The Wolfpack held the Irish to 41% shooting from the field (26% 3-point shooting) on the day, compared to their own 46% shooting from the field (38% 3-point shooting).
It’s the first win for NC State against an AP No. 1 team since 2021 and the first win against an AP No. 1 team at home since 1978, when the Wolfpack beat Wayland Baptist, per ESPN. It’s also the third win over a No. 1 ranked opponent in the Wes Moore era at NC State, per the Wolfpack’s X (formerly Twitter) account.
Before Sunday, the Irish, the top overall projected seed in the NCAA Women’s Tournament, had been one of the hottest teams in the country, as they had won 19 straight games entering the day. It’s the third loss of the season for the Irish, and their first since Nov. 30 against Utah in the Cayman Island Classic.
To expound, it is the first loss for Notre Dame in ACC play since Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024 against who else but NC State. The Irish now hold a one-game lead over the Wolfpack in the ACC standings.
The Wolfpack took a brief three-point lead in the final minute of the game that was sparked by a layup from Madison Hayes. Notre Dame senior Sonia Citron then stopped an upset in regulation from happening, as the 6-foot-1 guard drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key as time expired to force overtime.
In the final second of the first overtime period, Notre Dame appeared to have drawn a foul as time expired. However, after an official review, it was determined the foul occurred after the buzzer, resulting in the Irish not having an opportunity there to win the game with a free throw and sending the game into an additional overtime period.
NC State locked in on defense in the second overtime period, as it held Notre Dame to just a 3-pointer from senior guard Olivia Miles. Notre Dame was 1-of-6 from the field in the second overtime frame alone, with three turnovers from Citron.
‘Great feeling. Great atmosphere. It’s a really big game (against the) No. 1 team in the country and I just had a lot of fun today,’ Brooks told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the win.
She added: ‘We always play together. We are a sisterhood. We are a family. And we know when we play together, we can beat anybody in the country.’
Hannah Hidalgo led Notre Dame in scoring with 26 points on 8 of 26 shooting with five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. It is the 20th game this season that Hidalgo, a candidate for National Player of the Year, has finished with at least 20 points, and the 46th game in her two-year career at Notre Dame.
‘Me and Hannah have been playing on the same team for years. I love playing against her. Played against her in high school and now in college. It’s just great competing against her,’ said Brooks on competing against Hidalgo, who lives around 71 miles away from Brooks in New Jersey.
Citron and senior guard Olivia Miles added 23 and 22 points each for Notre Dame.
Notre Dame will close out the regular season against Florida State and Louisville before heading to Charlotte, North Carolina for the 2025 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament. Meanwhile, NC State will finish with contests against Wake Forest and SMU before starting its journey of returning to the Final Four for the second consecutive season.