ABILENE, Texas (Interstat) — Hannah Hidalgo scored 31 points and Iyana Moore added 20 as Notre Dame used a dominant first quarter to set the tone for an 88-63 victory over SMU in a nonconference women’s basketball game Sunday at Moody Coliseum.

The Fighting Irish, now 18-9 overall, exploded for 29 points in the opening period, establishing a nine-point lead they would never relinquish. The Mustangs, who fell to 9-19, kept pace early behind the scoring of Zahra King but could not sustain the offensive firepower needed to close the gap.

Notre Dame’s early surge was fueled by efficient offense and disruptive defense. After a slow start that saw several early turnovers, the Irish found their rhythm midway through the first quarter. A layup by Cassandre Prosper, followed by a three-pointer from Moore, sparked a run that pushed the lead to double digits. Hidalgo, the dynamic 5-foot-6 guard from Merchantville, New Jersey, was instrumental, attacking the basket and drawing fouls. She scored nine points in the first quarter alone, helping Notre Dame build a 29-20 advantage.

The most important stretch of the game came in the third quarter, when Notre Dame effectively put the contest out of reach. Leading 44-34 at halftime, the Irish opened the second half with renewed intensity. They outscored SMU 30-15 in the period, turning a comfortable lead into a decisive one. Hidalgo was at the heart of the onslaught, scoring 10 points in the quarter. Her back-to-back driving layups, both coming off steals she created, highlighted a stretch where Notre Dame’s defense catalyzed its offense. A three-pointer from Gisela Sanchez, who finished with 10 points, capped a 12-2 run that extended the lead to 25 points and silenced any thought of a Mustang comeback.

SMU, organized by the Atlantic Coast Conference for this contest, was led by King’s game-high 23 points. The 5-foot-10 guard from Brooklyn, New York, shot effectively from the perimeter to keep her team within striking distance in the first half. Ayanna Thompson of DeSoto, Texas, added 16 points and a team-high seven assists for the Mustangs, while Grace Hall contributed eight points and two blocks.

But the afternoon belonged to Notre Dame’s backcourt. Hidalgo, who also tallied three assists and a remarkable six steals in 37 minutes, continued her recent run of stellar performances. She entered the game averaging 24.3 points over her last two contests, wins over Wake Forest and North Carolina State. Moore, a 5-foot-8 guard from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, provided crucial scoring support, hitting four three-pointers as part of her 20-point effort.

The Irish showcased balanced scoring beyond their star duo. Sanchez, the 6-foot-3 forward from Barcelona, Spain, recorded 10 points, three assists and two blocks in just 19 minutes off the bench. Prosper, of Montreal, Canada, added nine points, while Malaya Cowles and KK Bransford each chipped in six points. Notre Dame’s ball movement was sharp, resulting in 19 assists on 34 made field goals.

For SMU, the loss extended a difficult season. The Mustangs struggled with ball security, committing 24 turnovers which Notre Dame converted into 28 points. While they shot respectably from the field, they were unable to string together enough defensive stops to mount a serious challenge after the first quarter. An announced crowd of 3,209 watched as the Irish methodically controlled the game’s tempo and execution in the final three periods.

With the victory, Notre Dame heads into its final regular-season stretch having won three consecutive games. The Irish will return to Atlantic Coast Conference play, hosting Syracuse on Thursday before traveling to Louisville on March 1. SMU, meanwhile, continues a challenging road trip, heading to the West Coast to face Stanford on Thursday and California on March 1. According to Interstat’s ELO system, Notre Dame was projected with a 97 percent probability to win, a forecast the Irish fulfilled with a comprehensive performance marked by a game-breaking third quarter.