Notre Dame, led by Hidalgo and Miles, hands UConn first loss - ESPN

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Heading into Thursday's top-10 matchup, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said he didn't think there was a better backcourt in the country than the one his team would face in Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles.

Auriemma's assessment proved correct, with the Hidalgo-and-Miles-led Irish handing the No. 2 Huskies their first loss of the season 79-68 in South Bend, where No. 8 Notre Dame led nearly wire to wire.

«This is a major win for us,» Irish coach Niele Ivey said. «Obviously, it's just one win, but I'm really grateful for this group and really proud of our effort and the way that we showed up today with such toughness and discipline.»

Hidalgo flirted with a triple-double (29 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists) and was the best player on the court as she continues to make a compelling case as the best player in the country. The sophomore scored or assisted on 48 of Notre Dame's 79 points and became the first player over the past 25 seasons to record multiple games with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists against the Huskies, her first such game having come her freshman season in Storrs, Connecticut.

UConn had no answer for Hidalgo's shooting from deep, where she drained a career-best six 3s on 11 attempts. The Huskies managed a paltry 3-for-16 clip from the 3-point arc.

The Huskies trailed by as many as 13 in the second quarter — their largest deficit of the season — but rallied in the third to make it a one-point game. That is, until Hidalgo drained a 3 at the third-quarter buzzer, a backbreaking moment for UConn and a momentum-deciding one for Notre Dame. The Irish built off that shot, starting the fourth quarter with a run to go back up double figures and effectively put the game out of