Hannah Hidalgo Breaks Notre Dame Free Throw Record as No. 13 Irish Open 32-4 and Rout Detroit Mercy 108-60

SOUTH BEND, Ind. Detroit Mercy did not score a point for nearly six minutes, did not make a field goal until 1:17 remained in the first quarter, and by then the scoreboard at Purcell Pavilion read 30-1. No. 13 Notre Dame never let up after that start, and Hannah Hidalgo broke a program record along the way as the Irish routed Detroit Mercy 108-60 on Tuesday, Nov. 10.

Hidalgo had 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and went 8 for 8 at the free throw line, passing Skylar Diggins for the most made free throws in Notre Dame history. Anaya Hardy scored a career-high 21, Madison St. Rose added a season-high 19, and Leah Macy had 17 points and five steals. Six Irish players reached double figures as Notre Dame moved to 3-0. Detroit Mercy fell to 2-2.

Here is the official box score (opens in a new tab) and Notre Dame's recap (opens in a new tab).

A 32-4 first quarter

The opening minutes were about as lopsided as basketball gets. Hardy scored on a tip-in 21 seconds into the game, St. Rose hit a floater, Hardy added a layup off a Hidalgo assist, and Macy finished a driving layup from Jacy Abii, according to ESPN's play-by-play. That made it 8-0 just 1:47 in, with two steals turned into fast-break layups along the way, and Detroit Mercy called an early timeout, per Notre Dame.

The timeout did not slow anything down. Notre Dame made 8 of its first 11 shots and scored the game's first 22 points. Detroit Mercy's first point came on a free throw after a scoreless stretch of 5:50, according to the school, and the Titans' first field goal did not arrive until the Irish already led 30-1.

Notre Dame led 32-4 after one quarter. Detroit Mercy shot 1 for 15 in the period. Hardy had nine points and four rebounds in the quarter, St. Rose had seven, and Hidalgo had six points, four rebounds and two assists. The 28-point margin was the largest first-quarter gap of the Niele Ivey era, according to Notre Dame.

Hidalgo's double-double by halftime

Hidalgo opened the second quarter with six quick points, and Notre Dame scored 11 of the first 13 points of the period to go up 43-6. Detroit Mercy found a little more offense from there, scoring 17 points in the quarter, but the Irish added 24 and went to the locker room ahead 56-21.

Hidalgo already had 14 points and 10 rebounds at the break. Hardy had 13 and St. Rose had 12. That is three players near or past double figures by halftime, with the game's outcome long since settled.

The third quarter started the same way the first had. Notre Dame made 5 of its first 6 shots, all of them in the paint, and led 70-29 at the first media timeout. Hidalgo's record came in that period. A free throw in the third quarter was make No. 564 of Hidalgo's career, moving Hidalgo past Diggins for the program record, and Hidalgo finished the night with 566, according to Notre Dame.

Macy scored seven points in the third quarter, six different Irish players scored in the period, and Notre Dame led 83-37 after three.

Past 100 again

The Irish had scored 123 points against Stonehill four nights earlier, and the fourth quarter became a chase for a second straight triple-digit night. Hardy grabbed a fifth offensive rebound and scored on the putback to reach 21 points and make it 93-44, per Notre Dame. A few minutes later, Macy came up with a fifth steal and Hidalgo finished the play with a layup for a 101-49 lead with 4:52 to play.

Detroit Mercy played its best quarter of the night in the fourth, scoring 23 points, and Notre Dame won the period only 25-23. The final margin was 48, six points off the largest lead of 54.

Notre Dame finished 41 of 69 from the field, 59.4 percent, and scored 62 points in the paint to Detroit Mercy's 26. The Irish also won the fast-break battle 39-8, outrebounded the Titans 50-35, and assisted on 23 of their 41 baskets. Notre Dame forced 20 turnovers, came up with 16 steals and blocked eight shots, then turned those turnovers into 28 points.

There were a couple of quieter numbers too. Notre Dame made only 5 of 18 from 3-point range and 21 of 30 at the free throw line, and committed 15 turnovers. Detroit Mercy also grabbed one more offensive rebound than the Irish, 16 to 15. None of that mattered on this night, but against DePaul on a neutral floor it may.

Six in double figures

Hidalgo, a senior guard, made 7 of 13 shots, including a 3, to go with the perfect night at the line. Nine of the 10 rebounds came on the defensive glass, and Hidalgo added five assists and two steals in 28 minutes. It was Hidalgo's second double-double of the season, following the 27-point, 10-steal game against Stonehill on Nov. 6. Hidalgo was named ACC Player of the Week for the 15th time shortly before tipoff, according to the school.

Hardy was the most efficient scorer on the floor. The forward made 10 of 14 shots, grabbed eight rebounds, five of them offensive, and blocked a shot in 24 minutes. The 21 points were Hardy's first 20-point game, per Notre Dame. The only blemish was at the line, where Hardy went 1 of 6.

St. Rose made 7 of 10 shots, 2 of 4 from deep and all three free throws for 19 points, the most of St. Rose's season, and added seven rebounds and three assists. Macy went 6 of 8 from the field and 5 of 6 at the line for 17 points, with three assists to go with the five steals, though Macy also picked up four fouls.

Abii, the reigning ACC Freshman of the Week, filled the box score again: 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, nine rebounds, seven assists, four steals and three blocks in 25 minutes. Off the bench, Jenica Lewis scored 12 on 4-of-7 shooting with two 3-pointers, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Amari Byles added five rebounds and two blocks, and Bella Ragone scored two. Ivey used 11 players.

Detroit Mercy's bench fights back

For Detroit Mercy, the bench provided most of the offense. The Titans' reserves outscored their starters 36-24, and outscored Notre Dame's bench 36-16. Colleena Bryant led Detroit Mercy with 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting and three assists in 20 minutes. Addisen Mastriano made 4 of 7 shots for eight points, with five rebounds and two steals, and Alonna Divine hit two 3-pointers on the way to eight points. Marie Outlay had three steals.

Among the starters, Makayla Jackson scored six on 3-of-12 shooting, and Paula Lopez had six points but committed six turnovers against Notre Dame's pressure. Naïma Diawara added five points and a team-high six rebounds, three of them offensive.

Detroit Mercy shot 22 of 70 from the field, 31.4 percent, but made 7 of 17 from 3-point range, a better rate than the Irish managed. The Titans also went 9 of 16 at the line, finished with eight assists and committed 24 fouls. Detroit Mercy had lost to No. 23 Illinois 84-50 on Nov. 4, and the second-half scoring here, 39 points after 21 in the first half, was something to build on.

The closing take

Notre Dame has now scored 123 and 108 points in its first two home games, and the formula has been identical each time: pressure the ball, turn steals into layups, and let Hidalgo, Abii and Macy create in transition while Hardy cleans up inside. A crowd of 5,527 watched the Irish reach 100 for the second straight game. Hardy's emergence as a 20-point scorer adds a reliable post option that this backcourt-led team can lean on.

The schedule gets tougher now. Notre Dame faces DePaul in the SoFi Shamrock Classic on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., with a 1 p.m. ET tip on NBC and Peacock, according to the school.

Sources: ESPN, Notre Dame Athletics (fightingirish.com).

Photo: Notre Dame Athletics.