South Bend, IN- The Irish rose to the occasion, securing a convincing 74-47 victory over Clemson. No. 19-ranked Notre Dame (20-6, 10-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) held a commanding 47-32 lead already, and they extended it by adding the next six points, with Clemson (11-16, 4-11) unable to narrow the gap closer than 19 points for the remainder of the game.
On Senior Night, honoring six ND players before the game, nearly six Irish players contributed double-digit scoring performances. Despite enduring some foul trouble that limited her to a season-low 25 minutes, junior Sonia Citron led the charge with 16 points, along with five assists and four steals. Citron's efficiency shone through as she missed just one shot, shooting 5-of-6 from the field, including two triples, and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Additionally, Maddy Westbeld posted 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while DeWolfe and KK Bransford each chipped in 12 points.
On her 19th birthday, freshman standout Hannah Hidalgo matched her season low with 10 points, facing a challenging 4-of-14 shooting night from the field. Nonetheless, she contributed eight assists and three steals to the team's effort. Kylee Watson narrowly missed joining the double-digit scoring club, tallying nine points in 19 minutes, shooting an efficient 4-of-5 from the field and blocking a pair of shots. For Clemson, Whitehorn led with 17 points and 10 rebounds, followed by Amari Robinson with 14 points and Dayshanette Harris with 12 points and nine assists.
Looking ahead, ND plays its final road game of the regular season against Boston College (11-17, 3-12) on Sunday, with a noon tip-off. This is followed by a matchup against No. 8-ranked ACC leader Virginia Tech (22-4, 13-2) at Purcell next Thursday, and then hosting No. 20 Louisville (22-6, 11-4) the following week.
Despite Thursday’s victory, the Irish remain tied for sixth in the league with North Carolina. However, they closed the gap on teams ahead in the loss column. Syracuse currently holds second place at 12-4, followed by Louisville and NC State at 11-4, with Florida State close behind at 11-5.
