Notre Dame looks to dynamic backcourt to regain momentum for March Madness

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Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles, right, attempts a shot ahead of Duke’s Oluchi Okananwa, left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

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Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo (3) handles the ball as Duke’s Oluchi Okananwa (5) defends during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

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Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo (3) handles the ball as Duke’s Delaney Thomas (12) defends during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

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Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles (5) pleads with a referee during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina State in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

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Florida State guard Ta’Niya Latson (00) drives as Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles (5) defends during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/John Mersits)

By CURT RALLO

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Early in the season, Notre Dame built a sparkling resume with victories against two eventual No. 1 seeds — USC and Texas — and a pair of No. 2 seeds in UConn and Duke.

The end of the season was a different story.

After losing three of their last five games, the Fighting Irish enter the NCAA Tournament with a No. 3 seed. Notre Dame (26-5) takes on No. 14 seed Stephen F. Austin (29-5) in the first round in South Bend on Friday.

If Notre Dame is to regain its magic and make a run to the Final Four, it will start with a dynamic backcourt regarded as one of the best in the nation: Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles, the pair who combined for 45 points in a 79-68 victory against UConn on Dec. 12.

That display by the Fighting Irish background impressed UConn coach Geno Auriemma.

“I don’t know if there’s a better combination of guards than those two with how many different things they can hurt you with,” Auriemma said after the game. “Those guys are attacking you for the entire 40 minutes. And I don’t know that I’ve seen anybody up close yet that can do that.”

Hidalgo, a 5-foot-6 sophomore, leads Notre Dame in points (24.2) and steals (3.7), fourth in the nation in each category. She deals out 3.7 assists a game.

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UConn guard Paige Bueckers, second from left, and forward Sarah Strong, right, laugh during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Villanova in the semifinals of the Big East Conference tournament, Sunday, March 9, 2025, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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Miles, a 5-10 graduate student, leads the nation with three triple-doubles. She averages 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists a game. She leads the ACC in assists (14th nationally). The two New Jersey natives each average nearly 41% in 3-point shooting.

Teams powered by dominant bigs — not guards — have ruled the national championship scene the past two decades.

Since 2005, only two guards smaller than 6-feet have earned most outstanding player in the national championship game: Chloe Jackson of Baylor in 2019 and Arika Ogunbowale of Notre Dame in 2018. Stanford’s 6-foot-1 guard Haley Jones is the only other guard to be named MOP, earning the honor in 2021.

Notre Dame is a rare exception to the rule. The Fighting Irish were guard-driven in their run to the championship in 2018.

“Fortunately I’ve seen that with our 2018 team,” coach Niele Ivey said of coming up with a blueprint for a guard-drive title run. “You know, we had a rock star backcourt (in 2018), Arike Ogunbowale, Marina Mabrey, Jackie Young.”

Hidalgo said the New Jersey swagger she and Miles share will fuel a Notre Dame team stung by its recent skid and No. 3 seeding.

“I think it could definitely be a ‘Jersey’ thing,” Hidalgo said of the fierce competitiveness that she and Miles share. “We play with … just this grit, and we play with this chip on our shoulders. And you know, that’s important. I know for me, coming from Jersey, playing with boys, I know it definitely gave me that chip on my shoulder. But I think (our toughness) is different. Jersey girls are just different.”

Ivey said that Hidalgo and Miles forged a special bond in the summer after Miles returned from a season off with a knee injury.

“They both are willing participants in this,” Ivey said of Hidalgo and Miles teaming up to create a relentless attacking backcourt. “They built chemistry in the summertime. They built chemistry this season. And again, they both want to win. You’ve got Liv coming back from an injury. She was really self-motivated to come and make an impact.

“Both of them are just playing unselfish basketball and learning to play with each other. There was always a lot of individual sacrifice, and then they just built that chemistry together throughout the season.”

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