"Ref told me in the beginning that I was able to cover it up": Hannah Hidalgo blames nose ring removal for ruining her flow in loss vs. Oregon State 

In the Sweet 16 women's basketball showdown between the No. 3 Oregon State Beavers and No. 2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the latter faced a setback when their freshman guard Hannah Hidalgo was sidelined for wearing a nose ring. Despite entering the game as favorites to win the match, Oregon State clinched the victory with a final score of 70-65.

In a post-game interview, Hidalgo said that the refs allowed her to wear the ring in the 1st quarter but asked her to remove it in the 2nd:

"The ref told me in the beginning that I was able to cover it up, and then 2nd quarter they said you can't wear it," Hidalgo said.

Notre Dame, under the guidance of head coach Niele Ivey, was making its third consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. Hidalgo and senior forward Maddy Westbeld were leading the Fighting Irish. Whereas, Oregon State was returning to the tournament after two seasons and was led by Raegan Beers.

Hannah Hidalgo has averaged 22.9 per game this season for Notre Dame. This made her absence from the court even more heartbreaking for her fans. Another player who has been a key contributor for them is their senior forward Maddy Westbeld.

No. 2 Notre Dame reached the Sweet 16 after defeating Kent State (81-67) in the first round and Ole Miss (71-56) in the second round. This Sweet 16 defeat might have potentially put a question in their head regarding the officiating decision against them.

The controversy regarding the sidelining of Hannah Hidalgo started on the internet as soon as the game was over.

Here is what fans had to say on X, formerly Twitter:

"Too bad she has to sit on the bench in the biggest game of the year to get the jewelry removed."

"Things you never saw in 80s"

"Good that's nasty"

"It's a rule. Unfortunately, it hasn't been being enforced by others. But if I'm refing, she has to take it out or cover it with a band-aid. The problem here is they waited so long to enforce it. But ND could've been tech'd for it bc [because] it's the coach's job to makesure they're ready."

"Can't believe how bad they did Hannah Hidalgo"

Key players in Oregon State vs Notre Dame game

Oregon State v Notre Dame

No. 2 Notre Dame's March Madness 2024 journey was ended by No. 3 Oregon State in a surprise, 70-65 victory. Sonia Citron was the player with a maximum of 22 points, seven rebounds and an assist for Notre Dame, followed by 19 and 12 points from Maddy Westbeld and Anna DeWolfe, respectively. After being sidelined for some time in the second quarter, Hannah Hidalgo could only score 10 points in the end.

For Oregon State, the key player in the match was Timea Gardiner, who scored 21 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Her performance was complemented by 18 points, 13 rebounds and an assist from Raegan Beers. Donovyn Hunter also scored 11 points to contribute towards her team's victory.

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