The Gamecocks used a 24-6 run in the second quarter to break away from the Fighting Irish (0-1) and improve to 14-2 in openers under coach Dawn Staley.
Wayne grad Bree Hall scored seven points and had three rebounds for South Carolina.
Hannah Hidalgo, a five-star freshman ranked as the fifth-best college prospect by ESPN.com, led Notre Dame with 31 points. Fairmont grad Maddy Westbeld added 12 points and grabbed five rebounds for Notre Dame.
South Carolina’s mostly new lineup struggled early to find its flow. Once the Gamecocks did, they took off on a back-breaking second-quarter surge to take control. Raven Johnson got it going with a pair of jumpers while Cardoso had five of the next seven points for a 35-29 lead.
Freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley hit a 3-pointer then followed moments later with a drive through Notre Dame’s defense where she put the ball behind her back, kept it and finished with a flip shot as Gamecocks fans who flocked across the pond to watch history went wild.
Fulwiley finished with 17 points, among five Gamecocks in double figures.
About the Author