Hannah Hidalgo delivered a historic performance with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 steals to lead Notre Dame Fighting Irish to a 67-64 victory over Vanderbilt Commodores in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. The junior guard recorded her third career triple-double, including the assist on the go-ahead basket in the final minute that sent the sixth-seeded Irish to their first Elite Eight appearance since 2019.

Hidalgo's signature play came with 22 seconds remaining when she made a leaping grab between two defenders and fed Cassandre Prosper for the decisive basket. The play showcased her defensive prowess as she had already broken the NCAA single-season steals record earlier in the game. Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes, the national scoring leader, finished with 26 points but lost the ball out of bounds on the potential tying possession before missing a desperation three at the buzzer.

The victory sets up a regional final matchup for Notre Dame against either undefeated UConn Huskies or North Carolina Tar Heels. Hidalgo's performance included eight steals in each of Notre Dame's first two tournament games, making her just the second player with multiple eight-steal NCAA tournament performances. Her defensive dominance and clutch scoring proved decisive as the Irish overcame a late surge from Vanderbilt's Aubrey Galvan to advance in March Madness.