The women’s college basketball community witnessed an unusual incident involving an official’s decision during the Sweet 16 matchup between Notre Dame and Oregon State.
Viewers watched as Notre Dame’s standout player, Hannah Hidalgo, was unexpectedly sidelined due to her nose ring. In a bizarre turn of events, Hidalgo was forced to leave the game for over four minutes during the second quarter as trainers struggled to remove the piercing from her nose.
After the game, Hidalgo revealed to ESPN that one official initially allowed her to wear the piercing if she covered it up, a practice she had been following throughout the season, including two previous NCAA Tournament games. However, she was abruptly taken out of the game at the end of the first quarter and instructed to remove the piercing, much to her dismay.
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Expressing her frustration, Hidalgo stated, “I thought it was B.S., because I’m on a run, I’m on a roll. I scored two baskets and then having to sit out for all that time, I was starting to get cold. I think [the officials] were worried about the wrong things. They should have reffed the game.”
Notre Dame’s coach, Niele Ivey, acknowledged that Hidalgo had been wearing the nose ring throughout the entire season. She expressed disappointment, saying, “She’s had a nose ring the entire season. Just wish we would have known beforehand. Can’t control it, so we had to move on. But yeah, stoppage of play is never great when you’re trying to have flow.”
Ultimately, Oregon State emerged victorious with a 70-65 win over Notre Dame, securing their spot in the Elite Eight.
