NOTRE DAME, Ind. (Interstat) — Hannah Hidalgo scored 27 points and dished out seven assists, leading Notre Dame to a 72-62 victory over Syracuse in an Atlantic Coast Conference women’s basketball game Thursday night at a packed Joyce Center.

The Fighting Irish, improving to 19-9 overall, used a dominant fourth-quarter surge to pull away from a Syracuse team that had clung tenaciously for three periods. The Orange, led by Laila Phelia’s 23 points, fell to 21-7.

The game’s pivotal moment arrived in the final quarter after Syracuse had trimmed a 10-point deficit to just two possessions. With the Orange trailing 60-58 and under seven minutes to play, Notre Dame unleashed a decisive 10-0 run that sealed the outcome. The spurt was fueled by the all-around play of Hidalgo, who either scored or assisted on eight of those points.

Hidalgo, the dynamic 5-foot-6 guard from Merchantville, New Jersey, set the tone early with her defensive pressure, recording three of her game-high four steals in the first quarter. Her offensive repertoire was on full display throughout, as she consistently broke down the Syracuse defense to create shots for herself and others. Her backcourt mate, Cassandre Prosper, added 16 points, while forward Malaya Cowles chipped in 13 points and five assists.

Syracuse’s offense was remarkably consistent but ultimately insufficient, scoring 16 points in each of the first three quarters before managing only 14 in the fourth. Phelia, a 6-foot guard from Cincinnati, shouldered the scoring load, but the Orange struggled to find consistent secondary offense beyond Izoje Uche’s 12 points and Dominique Darius’s 10.

The Orange’s defense, anchored by Sophie Burrows’ three blocks, kept them in the game. They held Notre Dame to just 12 points in the third quarter, erasing a halftime deficit to tie the game at 49-49 heading into the final period. Uche also contributed three blocks for Syracuse.

However, Notre Dame’s offense exploded when it mattered most, pouring in 23 points in the fourth quarter. After Syracuse closed to within 58-56 on a Phelia layup, Hidalgo found Cowles for an easy basket. Following a Syracuse turnover, Hidalgo then assisted on a Vanessa de Jesus jumper. Another Orange miscue led to a Hidalgo-assisted three-pointer by Iyana Moore, pushing the lead to 65-56 and effectively extinguishing Syracuse’s hopes.

The Fighting Irish controlled the game’s interior, outrebounding Syracuse and converting second-chance opportunities. Notre Dame also capitalized on Syracuse’s 18 turnovers, scoring 19 points off those miscues.

The game was a critical late-season conference matchup for both teams. Notre Dame entered having won three straight, including victories over Wake Forest and North Carolina State, while Syracuse was looking to rebound from a loss to the Wolfpack.

A crowd of 6,833 watched as Notre Dame validated its status as a heavy favorite according to advanced metrics, which gave the Fighting Irish an 83 percent probability to win.

Syracuse will look to regroup when it hosts Boston College on Sunday. Notre Dame hits the road for its next contest, a Sunday matchup at Louisville.