A blocked shot by Toby Fournier as time expired sent Duke past Notre Dame, 65-63, in the Ally ACC Women's Basketball Tournament semifinals Saturday afternoon inside Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia. The nail-biter came down to the final seconds, with Notre Dame mounting a furious comeback attempt in the fourth quarter despite being down double digits for much of the game.
The matchup showcased two of the ACC's strongest contenders heading into March Madness. Notre Dame had won its last seven games before Saturday's tournament showdown, while Duke advanced to the ACC Tournament title game where they will play the winner between Louisville and North Carolina. Like other college basketball teams making tournament runs this season, the intensity and stakes keep rising as March approaches.
Hannah Hidalgo finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, four steals and two assists, leading Notre Dame in every category and also leading the Irish with six turnovers. The junior star had a chance to win it in the final seconds. Hidalgo drove into the paint with just 14 seconds left and passed to an open teammate, senior Cassandre Prosper, who hoisted a 3-pointer and missed, but the ball bounced right back into Hidalgo's hands with nine seconds remaining, and she scrambled for a step-back 3-pointer, which also careened off the back iron, while Prosper came up with the offensive rebound with five seconds remaining, then found grad student Iyana Moore who drove into the paint for one last shot. Moore's attempt was blocked by Duke sophomore Toby Fournier, and the Blue Devils survived the Irish's scare.
Notre Dame's ACC Tournament run ended the same way it did last season with a loss to Duke, and the Irish head back to South Bend after playing 11 games in 35 days, including four in seven days, making a 9-2 record since Feb. 1. The Blue Devils advance to the title game on Sunday, where they'll play the winner of the other semifinal between Louisville and North Carolina. Both teams will likely secure NCAA Tournament bids, with Notre Dame awaiting its seeding when the tournament bracket is revealed on Selection Sunday.