Paul VI's Hannah Hidalgo lovin' it with record effort at McDonald's All American Game
Hannah Hidalgo was pure gold in one of the nation's biggest basketball showcases.
The Paul VI senior and Notre Dame commit delivered a record 26 points en route to co-Most Valuable Player honors at the prestigious McDonald's All American Game in Houston on Tuesday.
HANNAH HIDALGO FROM DEEP AT THE BUZZER 😮💨@HannahHidalgo | @SCNext pic.twitter.com/CzIXQSU17g
— ESPN (@espn) March 29, 2023
Hidalgo, a three-time South Jersey Player of the Year for the Courier-Post and 2,000-plus point scorer in her high school career, was the first female from South Jersey to play in the all-star game. (Mainland grad Kylee Watson was selected to the team in 2020, but the game wasn't played because of the pandemic.) Hidalgo and Watson will be teammates at Notre Dame next season.
More:Paul VI's Hannah Hidalgo Girls Basketball Player of the Year again; All-South Jersey teams
Hidalgo tied a McDonald's All American Game record with eight steals and dished out five assists for the East, which dropped a 110-102 decision to the West. She shared the MVP honor with USC commit JuJu Watkins, who is regarded as the top senior player in the nation and a two-time Player of the Year in California. Watkins had 25 points in the game.
More:Which South Jersey hoopsters are going to the McDonald's All American Game?
The Paul VI star was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for New Jersey earlier this month after she completed her senior season with a 28.8 scoring average. She finished her scholastic career with a school-record 2,135 points.
More:Paul VI basketball star Hannah Hidalgo wins Gatorade NJ Player of the Year
Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: South Jersey star sets scoring record at McDonald's All American Game
