After recovering from two losses in the Cayman Islands, the Notre Dame women’s basketball team now prepares to face the University of Texas Longhorns on Thursday. The last meeting between the two teams took place in 1997, when the Irish narrowly won 86-83.

From a stunning 105-61 opener against Mercyhurst to a emphatic win over No. 3 USC, the Irish have showcased their strength and talent. However, back-to-back losses over the Thanksgiving break to Texas Christian University (TCU) and Utah tested their resilience. Now the Irish prepare for their biggest challenge yet: a showdown against undefeated No. 4 Texas.

Right at the start of the friendly, the team scored a huge 101-41 win over Davenport. Sophomore defender Hannah Hidalgo made her first appearance of the season and led the team to victory by finishing the night with a total of 31 points, nine assists and five steals.

“It’s kind of crazy, but it felt surreal being out there,” graduate student guard Olivia Miles said as she took the court for the first time after missing two seasons with an ACL injury. Miles finished the game with 15 points, nine assists and two steals.

The Irish kept the ball rolling as they opened the season against Mercyhurst, the first-ever meeting between the two teams, winning 105-61. Graduate student forward Liatu King led the way with 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Irish. Miles followed closely behind with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Head coach Niele Ivey said: “It was a dominant performance from start to finish.”

In the following game against Purdue, the Irish continued to dominate the field and took a 102-58 win. Hidalgo led the night with 28 points and seven rebounds. King scored in double figures in two categories, finishing with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Senior guard Sonia Citron played her first competitive game and finished the night with a total of 14 points and six rebounds against Purdue.

Game #5 went in the Irish’s favor as they faced James Madison for the first time since 1988 and took the 92-46 win.

Hidalgo continued to shine on the court, leading the Irish to victory with a total of 24 points and six rebounds. She wasn’t the only one: Freshman forward Kate Koval provided strong support for the Irish on defense while also grabbing 16 rebounds.

After another routine 91-55 win over Lafayette, the Irish traveled to Los Angeles for a big matchup with then-ranked No. 3 USC. Behind another sparkling performance from the backcourt from Hidalgo and Miles, who combined for 44 points and 15 assists en route to an impressive 74-61 win.

However, over Thanksgiving break the Irish faced TCU where they suffered their first loss 76-68. While the Irish managed to maintain the lead throughout the game, TCU broke through in the fourth quarter and took the win with 31 points. Hidalgo led the Irish with 27 points and nine rebounds and King added 13 rebounds.

The second team the Irish faced at halftime was Utah, where things didn’t go well again and suffered a second straight loss, 78-67. Citron led the way on the court for the Irish with 22 points and five rebounds, while King led the way on the glass with 11 rebounds for the Irish.

The Irish now prepare to take on No. 4 Texas, who is currently undefeated with seven wins so far this season.

The first game the Longhorns played was against Southeast Missouri State, where they won 119-47. Senior guard Rori Harmon played with 10 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals alongside junior center Kyla Oldacre, who finished the night with 21 points and 14 rebounds.

In the Longhorns’ second and third games, they won against Lamar University and DePaul, respectively. In the game against Lamar University, senior guard Shay Holle and freshman forward Justice Carlton led the field with 15 points each. Senior forward Taylor Jones was the star on both sides of the ball for Texas in the game against DePaul with 22 points and 12 rebounds.

In the game against Carleton State, Texas won 83:41. The fourth team Texas faced was against Tarleton State where they earned an 83-41 victory. Freshman forward Madison Booker led the Longhorns in scoring, finishing the night with a total of 25 points and three assists.

Booker and Jones starred in a big 90-50 win over New Mexico State. The duo finished with 21 and 20 points, respectively.

The Longhorns dominated Butler 94-59, led by Carlton’s 30 points. In their final game and the closest game of the season, they defeated No. 12 West Virginia 78-73, with senior forward Aaliyah Moore scoring 20 points and Booker adding 19.

The two teams are now preparing to face off against each other on Thursday at around 7 p.m