Notre Dame falls to South Carolina in Paris season-opener

PARIS, France -- No. 10 Notre Dame was defeated today by No. 6 South Carolina 100-71 in the first-ever NCAA women's basketball game to be played in Paris.

The Irish started off hot due to star freshman Hannah Hidalgo's 13 points in the first quarter. Hidalgo led all scorers with 31 points.

No freshman has reached 30 points in a first game since 1999. This is also the first 30-point game for any Irish player since Olivia Miles in January 2022.

The Irish missed Miles greatly, as South Carolina took over with an 11-2 run in the second quarter and never looked back. They outscored the Irish 24-8 before halftime.

Gamecocks freshman guard Milaysia Fulwiley already set the bar high with potentially the highlight of the year, while also pouring in 17 points.

6-foot-7 senior Kamilla Cardoso led the team with a double-double, scoring 20 points and pulling in 15 rebounds.

South Carolina shot 54.4% from the field, shadowing Notre Dame's 32.9%.

Though they lost, the Irish showed promise as they look forward to being entirely healthy.

The backcourt lineup including Olivia Miles, Sonia Citron and Hannah Hidalgo will be a force to come this season.

There is no return date for Miles' return, as she continues to rehab from a knee-injury she sustained last season.

The Irish take on the New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders Sunday at 2 p.m. in New Jersey.

Notre Dame's home opener in Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. against the Northwestern Wildcats.