TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Interstat) — The Notre Dame women’s basketball team delivered a commanding performance on the road Sunday, overwhelming Florida State 93-58 in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup at Donald L. Tucker Center.

The Fighting Irish seized control from the opening tip, establishing a dominant tone that never wavered. Notre Dame opened the game on a 15-0 run, capitalizing on a series of early Florida State misses and turnovers. The Seminoles did not score until an Emma Risch 3-pointer with just over three minutes remaining in the first quarter, by which point the Irish had built a 15-point advantage.

Notre Dame’s suffocating defense and efficient transition offense were the story of the first half. The Irish forced 10 Florida State turnovers in the opening quarter alone, converting them into easy baskets. By halftime, Notre Dame led 41-27, having held the Seminoles to just 11 points in the first quarter and never allowing the home crowd to become a factor.

The second half offered no respite for Florida State. Notre Dame continued to expand its lead, outscoring the Seminoles 24-15 in the third quarter and 28-16 in the fourth. The Irish defense remained disruptive, finishing the game with 12 steals and 7 blocked shots, while their offense produced a balanced and prolific attack.

Malaya Cowles, a 6-foot-3 forward from Wilkesboro, North Carolina, was the top star for Notre Dame, recording a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Her presence in the paint was pivotal on both ends of the floor. She was complemented by a standout performance from Cassandre Prosper of Montreal, Canada, who led all scorers with 21 points, adding 4 rebounds and 4 blocked shots.

Hannah Hidalgo of Merchantville, New Jersey, orchestrated the offense with precision, narrowly missing a triple-double. The 5-foot-6 guard finished with 17 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. Iyana Moore of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, provided a potent scoring punch off the bench, contributing 19 points, including five 3-pointers.

For Florida State, now 4-7 overall, the struggle for consistent offense was evident. Allie Kubek of Elkton, Maryland, led the Seminoles with 16 points, while Emma Risch of Melbourne, Florida, added 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Pania Davis, the 6-foot-6 center from Perth, Australia, scored 10 points but the Seminoles shot poorly from the field and were unable to match Notre Dame’s intensity or execution.

The most important part of the game was undoubtedly the opening salvo. Notre Dame’s immediate 15-0 run, fueled by defensive pressure that led to easy baskets for Prosper and others, effectively decided the contest within the first six minutes. It established a psychological and numerical gap that a struggling Florida State team, facing offensive woes, had no hope of overcoming. The Irish never allowed the Seminoles to entertain thoughts of a comeback, maintaining a lead of at least 14 points for the final 33 minutes of the game.

With the victory, Notre Dame improved to 6-2 overall and 1-0 in ACC play. The Fighting Irish will look to build on this momentum when they host Morehead State on Thursday. Florida State, falling to 4-7 and 0-1 in the conference, will seek to regroup before hosting the College of Charleston next Sunday.

The game drew an attendance of 1,986 to the Tucker Center. Notre Dame entered as a pregame favorite and easily covered the spread, while the combined score of 151 fell under the projected total.