Hidalgo's 44 Points, 16 Steals Lead Notre Dame Over Akron

South Bend, Ind. Hannah Hidalgo delivered a historic performance, scoring 44 points and recording 16 steals to lead No. 18 Notre Dame to an 85-58 victory over Akron on Wednesday night at the Joyce Center.

The 5-foot-6 junior guard achieved these feats in just 28 minutes, shooting 16 of 25 from the field, including 3 of 6 from beyond the arc, and 9 of 11 from the free-throw line. She also grabbed nine rebounds and dished out four assists. Hidalgo's 16 steals shattered the NCAA Division I single-game record of 14, previously set by Ticha Penicheiro of Old Dominion in 1998 and tied by Georgia Tech's Jill Ingram in 2008. The mark also eclipsed Notre Dame's program record for points in a game, surpassing the 41 points scored by Ruth Riley in 1999 and tied by Jewell Loyd in 2014.

Notre Dame capitalized on Akron's miscues, forcing 38 turnovers that led to 30 steals for the Fighting Irish and 41 points off those possessions. The Zips managed only 13 points from Notre Dame's 20 turnovers. Cassandre Prosper added 14 points for the winners, who improved to 3-0. Akron, now 0-3, was paced by NiRah Clark's 13 points, with Shaena Brew scoring 12 and Corinne Reed adding 11.