"She needs to be humbled": Fans react to crucial Hannah Hidalgo incident before No. 15 NC State upset No. 1 Notre Dame

Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles, and Sonia Citron have led Notre Dame to the top of the AP college basketball rankings. They recently dethroned UCLA from the No. 1 spot after JuJu Watkins' masterclass gave Lauren Betts' team their first defeat of the season.

Notre Dame seemed to be cruising with a 19-game win streak until they faced No. 15-ranked NC State on Sunday. The Wolfpack snapped Notre Dame's winning streak with a 104-95 win in double overtime.

While a clutch three from Sonia Citron at the buzzer took the game to OT, a Hannah Hidalgo incident in the second overtime seemed to be the final nail in the coffin that dashed any hopes of a comeback down the stretch. The National Player of the Year favorite found herself in foul trouble and fouled out of the game with 61 seconds left, down 8 points.

Fans on X seemed to have mixed reactions to this incident. While some lauded Hidalgo's efforts, others criticized her as though a loss for the Irish was overdue.

"Good she needs to be humbled," said a fan.

"HH is awesome. But I'm coach IVEY must tell her she lost this game before the game began to her HS pal on NC ST. This won't happen again." said another fan on X.

"Shoulda got a tech on the way out too," said another fan.

"Best backcourt in the country today was NC State," said a Wolfpack fan.

Meanwhile, some Notre Dame fans also reacted in support of Hannah Hidalgo.

"Obvious jump ball by the way. My rewatch of the game will have me livid," wrote a Notre Dame fan.

"Wild that they fouled her out and didn’t call a jump," said another Notre Dame fan.

"Hope she's not injured", said another fan online.

What does this loss mean for Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame?

This incident certainly sealed the outcome of the game down the stretch, losing your best player in the final moments of the game is a gut punch for any basketball team. However, it cannot be said that this loss was an individual's fault. Notre Dame's big three: Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron, all of them performed at a high level vs NC State.

Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles celebrate during Notre Dame vs SMU [Syndication: South Bend Tribune - Source: Imagn]

Hannah Hidalgo finished the game with 26 points, 5 rebounds and three assists. Sonia Citron had 23 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Olivia Miles ended up with 22 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. However, NC State's Zoe Brooks and Aziaha James stole the spotlight from the Notre Dame Irish team. They finished with 33 points and 20 points respectively for the NC State Wolfpack.

While this loss could mean that Notre Dame loses its top spot in the rankings, this upset is more likely than not a reality check that Notre Dame needed just days before Selection Sunday going into the NCAA tournament.