ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo was pressured to take away her nostril piercing and miss time in her staff’s 70-65 loss to Oregon State on Friday within the Candy 16.
It was that form of day for the freshman Hidalgo, who scored simply 10 factors regardless of averaging 22.9 per recreation. Her efficiency matched a season low in scoring.
The primary-team All-American missed about 4 minutes at first of the second quarter.
“It’s robust as a result of you understand I used to be on a roll and having to sit down out for 5 minutes due to a nostril ring is BS,” Hidalgo mentioned.
NCAA ladies’s basketball Rule 1-25.7 says no jewellery is permitted to be worn throughout video games.
“No, clearly I didn’t know the jewellery rule,” Hidalgo mentioned. “However, she had instructed me that I may cowl it up. Then, she mentioned you possibly can’t cowl it up after we have been already within the second quarter.”
So Hidalgo sat on the finish of the bench because the coaching workers feverishly tried to take away the ring utilizing instruments.
Coach Niele Ivey mentioned Hidalgo has had a nostril ring the whole season.
“I suppose it was some extent of emphasis within the Candy 16 with jewellery,” Ivey mentioned. “Simply want we might have recognized beforehand. Can’t management it, so we needed to transfer on.”
When Hidalgo got here out, the Irish have been down by two factors. She returned with 5:51 left within the quarter with Notre Dame down 25-22.
Hidalgo didn’t rating a area aim after re-entering the sport till there have been 57 seconds left. She made simply 4 of 17 pictures.
Ivey mentioned the ring elimination damage Hidalgo’s circulate. The 2 shared a protracted embrace on the finish of the third quarter when Hidalgo was subbed out. Hidalgo was emotional all recreation.
“She mentioned to not let my offense get to me,” Hidalgo mentioned. “Simply not let it get to my head as a result of I’m an emotional participant attempting to do my finest, and he or she was simply attempting to encourage me.”
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AP March Insanity bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and protection: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness