SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Maddy Westbeld scored 20 points and Hannah Hidalgo added 19 to help No. 2 seed Notre Dame beat seventh-seeded Mississippi 71-56 on Monday in the second round of the women's NCAA Tournament.
Sonia Citron added 17 for the Fighting Irish (28-6), who advanced to the Sweet 16 where they will play No. 3 seed Oregon State in the Albany 1 Regional.
Kennedy Todd-Williams and Madison Scott led Ole Miss with 15 points each.
Notre Dame hit Ole Miss with an intense attack from the opening tip, establishing an uptempo tone on offense and a relentless but controlled defense early.
Notre Dame Coach Niele Ivey said that although the Fighting Irish primarily use a six-player rotation, the plan was to play fast-paced and aggressive.
"We're a pace team," Ivey said. "We're better in transition. We like to run. We like to play fast. So did Ole Miss. That was the goal. Get out and run, make them defend us.
The Fighting Irish bolted to a 21-9 lead after one quarter, using a sticky zone to harass Ole Miss into 4-of-17 shooting in the first quarter. Ole Miss finished the game hitting 39% (22 of 57).
"We came out with this mentality that we were going to go on a 10-0 run, and we were just going to stop them from the jump," said Hidalgo, who also dished out four assists and had four steals. "We knew that we needed to hit them before they kind of hit us, because they're a great team and they're really athletic. We were all just locked into the scout and everyone was locked in on defense, so I was able to be more aggressive."
Ole Miss Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin was disappointed that her team struggled to match Notre Dame's intensity early.
"The disappointing part was someone got beat up, and it wasn't them," she said. "They beat us up. That's what's disappointing when your character and your reputation is to dictate and disrupt. I thought that they came prepared for a fight, and I don't think we fought."
Notre Dame expanded its lead to 19 points at 33-14 on a three-pointer by Westbeld from the top of the key with 5:10 left. The Fighting Irish led 43-26 at halftime.
Ole Miss used an 8-2 run to cut the Notre Dame lead to 63-50 with 5:46 left in the game, but Anna DeWolfe's jumper and a breakaway basket by Hidalgo pushed the Fighting Irish lead to 67-50 with 4:08 remaining to seal the game.
Notre Dame's defense pressured Ole Miss into 22 turnovers, the second-most the Rebels committed all season. Ole Miss had 25 turnovers in a 77-67 overtime victory against Florida.
INDIANA 75,
OKLAHOMA 68
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Mackenzie Holmes scored 29 points, including six in a row, to give fourth-seeded Indiana a late lead Monday night as the Hoosiers rallied past fifth-seeded Oklahoma. Holmes also pulled down six rebounds and blocked four shots.
Sydney Parrish added 17 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists for the Hoosiers (26-6), who advanced to their second Sweet 16 in three years and now face undefeated South Carolina, the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, in Albany, N.Y.
Both teams struggled from the floor as the Hoosier shot 25 of 65 (38.5%) and the Sooners made 26 of 74 (35.1%) attempts. Oklahoma won the rebound battle 48-39, including a 17-10 advantage on the offensive glass.
Indiana's players celebrated by racing into the student section and up the steps at Assembly Hall as music blared and fans pumped their hands in the air.
Big 12 Player of the Year Skylar Vann led the Sooners (23-10) with 20 points and eight rebounds. Aubrey Joens had 16 points for Oklahoma, which walked off the floor dejectedly after a fourth consecutive second-round loss in the NCAA Tournament.
Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo (3) celebrates a teammates 3-point shot during the first half of a second-round college basketball game against Mississippi in the NCAA Tournament Monday, March 25, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina)
Mississippi head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin shouts to players during the first half of a second-round college basketball game against Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament Monday, March 25, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina)
Notre Dame guard Sonia Citron (11) works against Mississippi' Mississippi guard Kennedy Todd-Williams (3) during the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament Monday, March 25, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina)
Notre Dame guard Sonia Citron (11) shoots as Mississippi forward Tyia Singleton (22) defends during the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament Monday, March 25, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina)
Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey shouts to players during the first half of a second-round college basketball game against Mississippi in the NCAA Tournament Monday, March 25, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina)