Preview: Notre Dame Visits Wake Forest in ACC Women’s Basketball WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Interstat) — The Notre Dame women’s basketball team looks to build on a key conference victory when it visits Wake Forest in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup Thursday at Joel Coliseum. The Fighting Irish (16-9, 8-6 ACC) are coming off a 79-67 home win over North Carolina State on Sunday. Guard Hannah Hidalgo led the way with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Notre Dame has won three of its last four games. The Demon Deacons (13-13, 4-10) have lost four straight, most recently an 86-67 defeat at Louisville on Feb. 12. Guard Grace Oliver scored 20 points in that loss. Hidalgo, a dynamic guard, enters on a hot streak, averaging 24.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists over her last seven games. She erupted for 37 points in a road win at Stanford on Feb. 1. Her backcourt play will be central to Notre Dame’s efforts. Oliver has been a bright spot for Wake Forest during its skid, averaging 14.5 points over the last four contests. She scored 19 points in a triple-overtime loss to Virginia on Jan. 29. Notre Dame holds a decisive edge in the recent series, having won the last 15 meetings. In their first matchup this season on Jan. 2, the Irish won 71-55 in South Bend, Indiana. Hidalgo scored 26 points in that game, while Oliver was held to four. The Irish are fighting to solidify their standing in the ACC and improve their NCAA Tournament seeding. Consistency has been an issue, with notable wins mixed with puzzling losses. Wake Forest, sitting in the bottom half of the conference, is seeking a signature win to disrupt its late-season slide. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. EST tip-off. Notre Dame travels to SMU on Sunday, while Wake Forest visits Boston College.