Notre Dame Routs Pitt; USC Blames Irish for Rivalry Break

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The No. 18 Fighting Irish dominated the Pitt Panthers 94-59 on Dec. 29, 2025, marking their return to action after the holiday break. With this win, Notre Dame improved to 10-2 and 2-0 in ACC play.

Hannah Hidalgo led the Irish with an impressive 30 points, shooting 13-of-23 from the field. She also contributed five rebounds, four steals, and four assists. Iyana Moore followed with a season-high 23 points, including five three-pointers. Cassandre Prosper recorded her third double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Malaya Cowles added 13 points and seven rebounds.

The Irish established a strong lead early, going up 25-12 in the first quarter. After Pitt narrowed the gap to eight points, Moore sealed the first quarter with a basket, ending it 27-17 in Notre Dame’s favor. The first quarter featured strong performances from Hidalgo, Moore, and Cowles, who accounted for 22 of the team’s 27 points.

Notre Dame maintained momentum in the second quarter, outscoring Pitt 24-12 and entering halftime with a commanding 51-29 lead. Hidalgo contributed nine points in that quarter, and Moore and Prosper each added six.

The teams exchanged baskets in the third quarter, with Hidalgo scoring 11 of the Irish’s 21 points. Notre Dame entered the final quarter leading 72-49. The Irish finished strong, closing the game with a 22-10 run to secure the 35-point victory.

One key statistic for Notre Dame was their ability to capitalize on turnovers, scoring 32 points off Pitt’s mistakes, while only allowing seven points from their own turnovers. The Irish also dominated in transition, outscoring Pitt 32-14.

Notre Dame will continue their ACC schedule with a game against Georgia Tech on Jan. 1 in Atlanta.

Meanwhile, Stanford‘s men’s basketball team faced Notre Dame on Dec. 30, losing a close match 47-40 in their ACC opener. Stanford dropped to 11-3 overall and 0-1 in the conference. The game marked Stanford’s lowest scoring output in over a year, as the team’s defense held Notre Dame to just 32.1 percent shooting.

USC‘s coach, Lincoln Riley, has placed the blame on Notre Dame for the decision to end their annual rivalry matchup, mentioning that the Irish rejected a proposal to keep the series going. With the rivalry now paused, it will be the first time since 1926 that they will not meet, not counting years affected by World War II or the COVID-19 pandemic.