762 - (7) Wofford vs. (2) Kentucky
NCAA Tournament second round
March 23 at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL
CBS
"a workhorse forward"
"he understands the pulse of his team"
"the savvy junior"
"big blue nation"
"a heady lead guard"
761 - (11) Tennessee women vs. (6) UCLA
NCAA Tournament first round
March 23 at Xfinity Center in College Park, MD
ESPN2
Other games watched:
(10) Auburn women vs. (7) BYU (first round)
(10) Florida vs. (2) Michigan (second round)
Showing posts with label ncaa womens tournament. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ncaa womens tournament. Show all posts
Games 605-606: A pair head to the finals
606 - NCAA Tournament national semifinals
(11) Loyola-Chicago vs. (3) Michigan
March 31 at Alamodome in San Antonio, TX
CBS
605 - NCAA Tournament national semifinals
(1) Notre Dame women vs. (1) Connecticut
March 30 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH
ESPN
(11) Loyola-Chicago vs. (3) Michigan
March 31 at Alamodome in San Antonio, TX
CBS
605 - NCAA Tournament national semifinals
(1) Notre Dame women vs. (1) Connecticut
March 30 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH
ESPN
Games 602-603: Final two punch ticket to Columbus
NCAA Tournament regional finals
603 - (2) Oregon women vs. (1) Notre Dame
March 26 at Spokane Arena in Spokane, WA
ESPN
602 - (2) South Carolina women vs. (1) Connecticut
March 26 at Times Union Center in Albany, NY
ESPN
603 - (2) Oregon women vs. (1) Notre Dame
March 26 at Spokane Arena in Spokane, WA
ESPN
602 - (2) South Carolina women vs. (1) Connecticut
March 26 at Times Union Center in Albany, NY
ESPN
Games 596-597: Elite 8 begins to take shape
NCAA Tournament regional semifinals
597 - (4) Stanford women vs. (1) Louisville
March 23 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
ESPN
ACC player of the year Asia Durr had 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting and added five of Louisville's 17 assists, while Myisha Hines-Allen scored 17 points and passed the 2,000-point plateau for her career in an 86-59 win.
I've liked the Cardinals to reach the national title game and nothing changed after Friday's performance. They're well-balanced (two others were in double figures and six total players scored at least eight points), are a good defensive team (opponents are averaging just 57 points in three tournament games) and have Durr, a future WNBA star who is capable of taking over any game.
596 - (5) Clemson vs. (1) Kansas
March 23 at CenturyLink Center in Omaha, NE
CBS
Well, Bill Raftery out-dribble drove himself in this one.
18:07 left in the first half: "a little dribble drive blow by!"
Other games watched:
(6) Oregon State women vs. (2) Baylor - Huge upset for OSU, which snapped Baylor's 30-game winning streak.
(5) West Virginia vs. (1) Villanova
(11) Syracuse vs. (2) Duke
(3) UCLA women vs. (2) Texas
March 23 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
ESPN
ACC player of the year Asia Durr had 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting and added five of Louisville's 17 assists, while Myisha Hines-Allen scored 17 points and passed the 2,000-point plateau for her career in an 86-59 win.
I've liked the Cardinals to reach the national title game and nothing changed after Friday's performance. They're well-balanced (two others were in double figures and six total players scored at least eight points), are a good defensive team (opponents are averaging just 57 points in three tournament games) and have Durr, a future WNBA star who is capable of taking over any game.
596 - (5) Clemson vs. (1) Kansas
March 23 at CenturyLink Center in Omaha, NE
CBS
Well, Bill Raftery out-dribble drove himself in this one.
18:07 left in the first half: "a little dribble drive blow by!"
Other games watched:
(6) Oregon State women vs. (2) Baylor - Huge upset for OSU, which snapped Baylor's 30-game winning streak.
(5) West Virginia vs. (1) Villanova
(11) Syracuse vs. (2) Duke
(3) UCLA women vs. (2) Texas
Games 590-591: Moving on to the Sweet 16
591 - (12) Florida Gulf Coast women at (4) Stanford
March 19 at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, CA
ESPN2
590 - (5) Duke women at (4) Georgia
March 19 at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, GA
ESPN2
Very rarely do you get a 4-5 matchup in the second round of the tournament and it turns into a blowout.
That happened Monday as Duke was in control from the early stages of the second quarter and won 66-40.
It was just a three-point game after one, but the Blue Devils dominated the second, holding Georgia without a point for 7 1/2 minutes and just two points in the period. Que Morrison's lay-up at the 2:41 mark finally put an end to the drought and made it a 28-14 game, though Duke scored the final seven points of the first half and led by 20 or more for the entire second half.
A combination of really good Duke defense and a ton of close shots missed by Georgia turns into a horrifying night for Georgia, which shot 23% (16-of-68) from the field.
Leaonna Odom led the way for the No. 5 seed, scoring 16 points, while Lexie Brown added 14 points, six assists and seven steals, becoming the school's single-season steals leader in the process.
Duke, which has played in the national semifinals four times but has never won a title, heads to Albany for the regional semifinals and will play unbeaten Connecticut.
Other games watched:
(11) Buffalo women at (3) Florida State
(7) Arizona State women at (2) Texas
March 19 at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, CA
ESPN2
590 - (5) Duke women at (4) Georgia
March 19 at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, GA
ESPN2
Very rarely do you get a 4-5 matchup in the second round of the tournament and it turns into a blowout.
That happened Monday as Duke was in control from the early stages of the second quarter and won 66-40.
It was just a three-point game after one, but the Blue Devils dominated the second, holding Georgia without a point for 7 1/2 minutes and just two points in the period. Que Morrison's lay-up at the 2:41 mark finally put an end to the drought and made it a 28-14 game, though Duke scored the final seven points of the first half and led by 20 or more for the entire second half.
A combination of really good Duke defense and a ton of close shots missed by Georgia turns into a horrifying night for Georgia, which shot 23% (16-of-68) from the field.
Leaonna Odom led the way for the No. 5 seed, scoring 16 points, while Lexie Brown added 14 points, six assists and seven steals, becoming the school's single-season steals leader in the process.
Duke, which has played in the national semifinals four times but has never won a title, heads to Albany for the regional semifinals and will play unbeaten Connecticut.
Other games watched:
(11) Buffalo women at (3) Florida State
(7) Arizona State women at (2) Texas
Games 586-587: Saturday matinees
587 - (7) Rhode Island vs. (2) Duke
NCAA Tournament second round
March 17 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA
CBS
586 - (11) Central Michigan women vs. (6) LSU
NCAA Tournament first round
March 17 at St. John Arena in Columbus, OH
ESPN2
The Chippewas certainly are enjoying the program's 50th season of womens basketball.
Tinara Moore was outstanding, scoring 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting, freshman Micaela Kelly added 17 points as Central Michigan won its first-ever NCAA game, 78-69.
Moore's lay-up at the 5:37 mark of the opening quarter gave her team the lead for the remainder of the day. LSU got as close as two points on a few occasions, but the Chippewas hit half of their shots (28-of-56) and showed why they're one of the top free throw shooting teams in the country, knocking down 15-of-17 to seal the historic win.
The MAC champions rely heavily on their starters and each of the five contributed Saturday. Reyna Frost added 12 points and 12 rebounds (CMU won the rebounding battle 41-29) before fouling out late in the fourth, Presley Hudson had 12 points and handed out eight assists and Cassie Breen hit a pair of 3-pointers to finish with eight points.
Other games watched:
(11) Loyola-Chicago vs. (3) Tennessee
(6) Houston vs. (3) Michigan
NCAA Tournament second round
March 17 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA
CBS
586 - (11) Central Michigan women vs. (6) LSU
NCAA Tournament first round
March 17 at St. John Arena in Columbus, OH
ESPN2
The Chippewas certainly are enjoying the program's 50th season of womens basketball.
Tinara Moore was outstanding, scoring 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting, freshman Micaela Kelly added 17 points as Central Michigan won its first-ever NCAA game, 78-69.
Moore's lay-up at the 5:37 mark of the opening quarter gave her team the lead for the remainder of the day. LSU got as close as two points on a few occasions, but the Chippewas hit half of their shots (28-of-56) and showed why they're one of the top free throw shooting teams in the country, knocking down 15-of-17 to seal the historic win.
The MAC champions rely heavily on their starters and each of the five contributed Saturday. Reyna Frost added 12 points and 12 rebounds (CMU won the rebounding battle 41-29) before fouling out late in the fourth, Presley Hudson had 12 points and handed out eight assists and Cassie Breen hit a pair of 3-pointers to finish with eight points.
Other games watched:
(11) Loyola-Chicago vs. (3) Tennessee
(6) Houston vs. (3) Michigan
Games 583-584: Daytime doubleheader
584 - (10) Northern Colorado women vs. (7) Michigan
NCAA Tournament first round
March 16 at Ferrell Center in Waco, TX
ESPN2
The duo of Katelynn Flaherty and Hallie Thome were too much for the Big Sky champions as the Wolverines advanced with a 75-61 win.
Flaherty, Michigan's all-time leading scorer for either gender, scored 20 points and Thome dominated inside, finishing with 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting. The No. 7 seed shot 57% (28-of-49) and didn't trail after Flaherty drained a 3-pointer with just over five minutes left in the opening quarter.
In its first-ever trip to the NCAAs, Northern Colorado was led by the Savannah's, Scott (game-high 25 points) and Smith (16 points).
583 - (15) Georgia State vs. (2) Cincinnati
NCAA Tournament first round
March 16 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN
TBS
Other games watched:
(10) Providence vs. (7) Texas A&M
(13) Marshall vs. (4) Wichita State
(10) Minnesota women vs. (7) Green Bay
(10) Virginia women vs. (7) California
NCAA Tournament first round
March 16 at Ferrell Center in Waco, TX
ESPN2
The duo of Katelynn Flaherty and Hallie Thome were too much for the Big Sky champions as the Wolverines advanced with a 75-61 win.
Flaherty, Michigan's all-time leading scorer for either gender, scored 20 points and Thome dominated inside, finishing with 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting. The No. 7 seed shot 57% (28-of-49) and didn't trail after Flaherty drained a 3-pointer with just over five minutes left in the opening quarter.
In its first-ever trip to the NCAAs, Northern Colorado was led by the Savannah's, Scott (game-high 25 points) and Smith (16 points).
583 - (15) Georgia State vs. (2) Cincinnati
NCAA Tournament first round
March 16 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN
TBS
Other games watched:
(10) Providence vs. (7) Texas A&M
(13) Marshall vs. (4) Wichita State
(10) Minnesota women vs. (7) Green Bay
(10) Virginia women vs. (7) California
Game 397 - (2) Mississippi State women vs. (1) Connecticut
NCAA Tournament national semifinals
March 31 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX
ESPN2
Morgan William!
After some cold water splashed on my face and about 10 minutes of failed leads, that's the best I could come up with for this classic ending.
The Mississippi State guard, all 5-5 (5-3?) of her, hit a pull-up jumper at the overtime buzzer that sent the No. 2 seed to a 66-64 victory over previously-unbeaten Connecticut and into the national championship game.
Not only did Connecticut's bid for five consecutive national championships come to an end, but so did the Huskies' 111-game winning streak. They lost for the first time since November, 2014, while Mississippi State, which will play for its first-ever national title on Sunday, avenged a 60-POINT LOSS TO THE HUSKIES IN LAST YEAR'S SWEET 16.
William followed an absurd, 41-point performance in a win over top seed Baylor in the Elite 8 with the greatest shot in the history of womens college basketball.
Unbelievable.
Connecticut actually had two huge chances to first tie, then win the game themselves at the end of overtime. First, in a two-point game, Mississippi State's Dominique Dillingham was called for a flagrant 1 foul when she hit Katie Lou Samuelson in the throat on a loose ball play with 26.6 left. Terrific commentators Doris Burke and Kara Lawson seemed adamant about it being a flagrant. I wasn't sure. Either way, Samuelson hit two free throws to tie the game at 62-62.
Because of the foul call, Connecticut also kept the ball and should've just held for the final shot, but Saniya Chong inexplicably drove the lane with plenty of time still remaining and threw an air ball out of bounds. The Bulldogs got the ball with 12 seconds to go and after dribbling for a bit at the top of the key, Dillingham handed off to William, who drove to the right elbow and drained the jumper over the out-stretched arm of Gabby Williams.
MSU out-played the defending champions in the first half, stunning basically everyone on the face of the earth by building a nine-point lead after one, as much as a 16-point cushion in the second quarter and eventually taking a 36-28 lead into the halftime locker room.
Not surprisingly, Connecticut fought back and took its first lead of the night (40-39) at the 6:16 mark. The teams were tied at 48-48 after three, then after a back and forth fourth quarter, William actually had her first chance to win the game against Williams, but the Huskies' star, playing with four fouls, blocked a driving lay up with about three seconds to go.
MSU went up 64-62 on a lay-in by Teaira McCowan at the 1:12 mark of overtime. It was one of only three combined field goals made over the final five minutes.
I have a feeling we'll remember No. 3 for a long time.
March 31 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX
ESPN2
Morgan William!
After some cold water splashed on my face and about 10 minutes of failed leads, that's the best I could come up with for this classic ending.
The Mississippi State guard, all 5-5 (5-3?) of her, hit a pull-up jumper at the overtime buzzer that sent the No. 2 seed to a 66-64 victory over previously-unbeaten Connecticut and into the national championship game.
Not only did Connecticut's bid for five consecutive national championships come to an end, but so did the Huskies' 111-game winning streak. They lost for the first time since November, 2014, while Mississippi State, which will play for its first-ever national title on Sunday, avenged a 60-POINT LOSS TO THE HUSKIES IN LAST YEAR'S SWEET 16.
William followed an absurd, 41-point performance in a win over top seed Baylor in the Elite 8 with the greatest shot in the history of womens college basketball.
Unbelievable.
Connecticut actually had two huge chances to first tie, then win the game themselves at the end of overtime. First, in a two-point game, Mississippi State's Dominique Dillingham was called for a flagrant 1 foul when she hit Katie Lou Samuelson in the throat on a loose ball play with 26.6 left. Terrific commentators Doris Burke and Kara Lawson seemed adamant about it being a flagrant. I wasn't sure. Either way, Samuelson hit two free throws to tie the game at 62-62.
Because of the foul call, Connecticut also kept the ball and should've just held for the final shot, but Saniya Chong inexplicably drove the lane with plenty of time still remaining and threw an air ball out of bounds. The Bulldogs got the ball with 12 seconds to go and after dribbling for a bit at the top of the key, Dillingham handed off to William, who drove to the right elbow and drained the jumper over the out-stretched arm of Gabby Williams.
MSU out-played the defending champions in the first half, stunning basically everyone on the face of the earth by building a nine-point lead after one, as much as a 16-point cushion in the second quarter and eventually taking a 36-28 lead into the halftime locker room.
Not surprisingly, Connecticut fought back and took its first lead of the night (40-39) at the 6:16 mark. The teams were tied at 48-48 after three, then after a back and forth fourth quarter, William actually had her first chance to win the game against Williams, but the Huskies' star, playing with four fouls, blocked a driving lay up with about three seconds to go.
MSU went up 64-62 on a lay-in by Teaira McCowan at the 1:12 mark of overtime. It was one of only three combined field goals made over the final five minutes.
I have a feeling we'll remember No. 3 for a long time.
Game 396 - (2) Stanford women vs. (1) South Carolina
NCAA Tournament national semifinals
March 31 at American Airlines Arena in Dallas, TX
ESPN2
Two huge things in this game, which South Carolina won 62-53 to advance to its first-ever national title game:
1. A'ja Wilson was the best player on the floor. The junior All America grabbed 19 (!) rebounds, eight on the offensive end, and added 13 points, four assists and three blocked shots. She started a bit slowly, as did most of the Gamecocks, but caught fire as her team turned a nine-point halftime deficit into the lead for good with a dominant third quarter.
The Gamecocks trailed 29-20 at the break, then used a 13-0 run to out-score the second-seeded Cardinal 21-8 and hold them to 4-of-21 shooting in the third.
2. Thanks in large part to an ankle injury suffered midway through the second quarter, Karlie Samuelson was a non-factor. Samuelson was the nation's leading 3-point shooter coming into the night (49%), but played sparingly and missed both of her long range attempts. The Cardinal as a team shot just 4-of-14 from behind the arc.
There were other key factors, of course, none bigger than the work of Allisha Gray. The South Carolina junior guard scored a game-high 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including a huge shot with 4:13 to go in the game, falling away on the baseline for a banked in bucket that turned into a three-point play and a 53-45 lead.
Marta Sniezek had a really nice first half off the bench for Stanford, scoring eight points and handing out four assists. But the sophomore guard, like most of the Cardinal in the second 20 minutes, struggled, and was held scoreless with just two more assists.
March 31 at American Airlines Arena in Dallas, TX
ESPN2
Two huge things in this game, which South Carolina won 62-53 to advance to its first-ever national title game:
1. A'ja Wilson was the best player on the floor. The junior All America grabbed 19 (!) rebounds, eight on the offensive end, and added 13 points, four assists and three blocked shots. She started a bit slowly, as did most of the Gamecocks, but caught fire as her team turned a nine-point halftime deficit into the lead for good with a dominant third quarter.
The Gamecocks trailed 29-20 at the break, then used a 13-0 run to out-score the second-seeded Cardinal 21-8 and hold them to 4-of-21 shooting in the third.
2. Thanks in large part to an ankle injury suffered midway through the second quarter, Karlie Samuelson was a non-factor. Samuelson was the nation's leading 3-point shooter coming into the night (49%), but played sparingly and missed both of her long range attempts. The Cardinal as a team shot just 4-of-14 from behind the arc.
There were other key factors, of course, none bigger than the work of Allisha Gray. The South Carolina junior guard scored a game-high 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including a huge shot with 4:13 to go in the game, falling away on the baseline for a banked in bucket that turned into a three-point play and a 53-45 lead.
Marta Sniezek had a really nice first half off the bench for Stanford, scoring eight points and handing out four assists. But the sophomore guard, like most of the Cardinal in the second 20 minutes, struggled, and was held scoreless with just two more assists.
Game 392-393: Last half of final four set
NCAA Tournament regional finals
393 - (3) Florida State women vs. (1) South Carolina
March 27 at Stockton Arena in Stockton, CA
ESPN
392 - (10) Oregon women vs. (1) Connecticut
March 27 at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT
ESPN
I can't imagine being a beat writer for the Connecticut womens basketball team. What is left to talk about on a game-by-game basis?
The Huskies rolled to an unbelievable 10th consecutive final four with Monday's 90-52 win. Geno Auriemma is now the winningest coach in NCAA Tournament history, passing Tennessee's Pat Summitt with No 113.
Auriemma is 113-17 all-time in the tournament. Ridiculous.
Few quick things about the Huskies' top three players:
The All America teams were announced before the game and for some reason Gabby Williams was not named to the first team. That's an interesting decision because I think she might be the best all-around player in the country. Williams has the quickness to get to the rim and is a really good mid-range shooter (58% from the field overall), and knows her range (only six three-point attempts all year (one make!)). She's an excellent rebounder (averaging 8.4) and distributor (leads the team in assists, averages 5.2) and has the size - 5-11 - to be an impact pro.
The second-team All-American had 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting and added six rebounds, three assists and four steals in Monday's rout.
Napheesa Collier was one Connecticut player deservedly named to the first team, and she was tremendous in this one, scoring 28 points (on 12-of-20 shooting) to go along with 12 rebounds and four blocked shots. Between the third and fourth quarters, Auriemma told ESPN that he was upset with Collier, stating that she "isn't playing any defense". I think either Auriemma was joking or running out of things to be upset about.
Fellow first-teamer Katie Lou Samuelson, who averages 20 points, showed her value in several other areas Monday despite shooting just 4-of-13 from the field and scoring eight points. The sophomore had five of Connecticut's 16 steals and handed out four assists with no turnovers.
393 - (3) Florida State women vs. (1) South Carolina
March 27 at Stockton Arena in Stockton, CA
ESPN
392 - (10) Oregon women vs. (1) Connecticut
March 27 at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT
ESPN
I can't imagine being a beat writer for the Connecticut womens basketball team. What is left to talk about on a game-by-game basis?
The Huskies rolled to an unbelievable 10th consecutive final four with Monday's 90-52 win. Geno Auriemma is now the winningest coach in NCAA Tournament history, passing Tennessee's Pat Summitt with No 113.
Auriemma is 113-17 all-time in the tournament. Ridiculous.
Few quick things about the Huskies' top three players:
The All America teams were announced before the game and for some reason Gabby Williams was not named to the first team. That's an interesting decision because I think she might be the best all-around player in the country. Williams has the quickness to get to the rim and is a really good mid-range shooter (58% from the field overall), and knows her range (only six three-point attempts all year (one make!)). She's an excellent rebounder (averaging 8.4) and distributor (leads the team in assists, averages 5.2) and has the size - 5-11 - to be an impact pro.
The second-team All-American had 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting and added six rebounds, three assists and four steals in Monday's rout.
Napheesa Collier was one Connecticut player deservedly named to the first team, and she was tremendous in this one, scoring 28 points (on 12-of-20 shooting) to go along with 12 rebounds and four blocked shots. Between the third and fourth quarters, Auriemma told ESPN that he was upset with Collier, stating that she "isn't playing any defense". I think either Auriemma was joking or running out of things to be upset about.
Fellow first-teamer Katie Lou Samuelson, who averages 20 points, showed her value in several other areas Monday despite shooting just 4-of-13 from the field and scoring eight points. The sophomore had five of Connecticut's 16 steals and handed out four assists with no turnovers.
Game 389 - (4) UCLA women vs. (1) Connecticut
NCAA Tournament regional semifinals
March 25 at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT
ESPN
That's consecutive win No. 110 for Connecticut, which advanced to the Elite 8 with an 86-71 victory Saturday afternoon.
Napheesha Collier was fantastic - NCAA Tournament career-high 27 points, 14 rebounds, five assists - Gabby Williams also did a lot of everything (17 points, nine rebounds, six assists) and the Huskies nearly had all five starters in double figures (Kia Nurse scored nine points).
Coach Geno Auriemma tied former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt for the most wins in tournament history (each has 112), and the unbeaten Huskies will look to make Auriemma No. 1 when they play 10th-seeded Oregon in Monday's regional final.
Great night for UCLA's Jordan Canada, who handed out 11 assists to go along with a team-high 20 points before fouling out with a minute to play.
Other game watched:
(10) Oregon vs. (3) Maryland
March 25 at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, CT
ESPN
That's consecutive win No. 110 for Connecticut, which advanced to the Elite 8 with an 86-71 victory Saturday afternoon.
Napheesha Collier was fantastic - NCAA Tournament career-high 27 points, 14 rebounds, five assists - Gabby Williams also did a lot of everything (17 points, nine rebounds, six assists) and the Huskies nearly had all five starters in double figures (Kia Nurse scored nine points).
Coach Geno Auriemma tied former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt for the most wins in tournament history (each has 112), and the unbeaten Huskies will look to make Auriemma No. 1 when they play 10th-seeded Oregon in Monday's regional final.
Great night for UCLA's Jordan Canada, who handed out 11 assists to go along with a team-high 20 points before fouling out with a minute to play.
Other game watched:
(10) Oregon vs. (3) Maryland
Games 383-384: Sweet 16's next
NCAA Tournament second round
384 - (12) Quinnipiac women at (4) Miami
March 20 at Watsco Center in Coral Gables, FL
ESPN
383 - (5) Tennessee women at (4) Louisville
March 20 at KFC Yum Center in Louisville, KY
ESPN
We watched some history in both games as Louisville started the night with a 75-64 win to advance to its fourth Sweet 16 in the last five seasons.
It's incredible to even be writing these words, but this was Tennessee's first-ever loss in 29 second-round games. Hard to win when you shoot 33% from the field, 27% from three-point range and your best player, Diamond DeShields, is a non-factor. DeShields finished with 15 points, but sat for a good portion of the second quarter with two fouls, missed nine of her 12 field goal attempts and just never got going.
Tennessee stayed close thanks to a great night from Jaime Nared (28 points, 11 rebounds).
Louisville's stand out sophomore, Asia Durr, wasn't at her best for much of the game - 23 points, though on just 8-of-22 shooting (1-of-8 from three) - but that didn't matter nearly as much as it might have because Mariya Moore picked up the slack.
The junior was a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point range and had 19 points. It was a 47-46 Tennessee lead after three quarters before Moore took over at the start of the fourth. Moore scored the first eight points of the final period and her three at the 7:22 mark put her team up 54-47. The Volunteers got as close as 55-51, then Durr followed with consecutive jumpers to make it an eight-point game with just over five minutes to go.
In the nightcap, Quinnipiac got an absurd evening off the bench from Morgan Manz (22 points, 6-of-8! from three-point range) & continued its remarkable run, winning 85-78. I think the most impressed I was with Quinnipiac tonight was when they just kept the lead, though slim at times, throughout the stretch where top players Adily Martucci and Jen Fay sat each with four fouls.
The Bobcats' bench out-scored Miami's 41-8.
And, the Bobcats accomplished the following things Monday:
- Reached the school's first Sweet 16. This follows the first-ever NCAA win - a 68-65 triumph over Big East champion Marquette - in Saturday's opening round.
- Defeated a ranked team for the first time. Miami was No. 16 in the Associated Press final regular season poll.
- Defeated their first Atlantic Coast Conference team.
The Bobcats face top seed South Carolina in Stockton, CA this weekend with a spot in the Elite 8 on the line.
This is just great for womens basketball - a second team from Connecticut is also two wins from the Final Four.
384 - (12) Quinnipiac women at (4) Miami
March 20 at Watsco Center in Coral Gables, FL
ESPN
383 - (5) Tennessee women at (4) Louisville
March 20 at KFC Yum Center in Louisville, KY
ESPN
We watched some history in both games as Louisville started the night with a 75-64 win to advance to its fourth Sweet 16 in the last five seasons.
It's incredible to even be writing these words, but this was Tennessee's first-ever loss in 29 second-round games. Hard to win when you shoot 33% from the field, 27% from three-point range and your best player, Diamond DeShields, is a non-factor. DeShields finished with 15 points, but sat for a good portion of the second quarter with two fouls, missed nine of her 12 field goal attempts and just never got going.
Tennessee stayed close thanks to a great night from Jaime Nared (28 points, 11 rebounds).
Louisville's stand out sophomore, Asia Durr, wasn't at her best for much of the game - 23 points, though on just 8-of-22 shooting (1-of-8 from three) - but that didn't matter nearly as much as it might have because Mariya Moore picked up the slack.
The junior was a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point range and had 19 points. It was a 47-46 Tennessee lead after three quarters before Moore took over at the start of the fourth. Moore scored the first eight points of the final period and her three at the 7:22 mark put her team up 54-47. The Volunteers got as close as 55-51, then Durr followed with consecutive jumpers to make it an eight-point game with just over five minutes to go.
In the nightcap, Quinnipiac got an absurd evening off the bench from Morgan Manz (22 points, 6-of-8! from three-point range) & continued its remarkable run, winning 85-78. I think the most impressed I was with Quinnipiac tonight was when they just kept the lead, though slim at times, throughout the stretch where top players Adily Martucci and Jen Fay sat each with four fouls.
The Bobcats' bench out-scored Miami's 41-8.
And, the Bobcats accomplished the following things Monday:
- Reached the school's first Sweet 16. This follows the first-ever NCAA win - a 68-65 triumph over Big East champion Marquette - in Saturday's opening round.
- Defeated a ranked team for the first time. Miami was No. 16 in the Associated Press final regular season poll.
- Defeated their first Atlantic Coast Conference team.
The Bobcats face top seed South Carolina in Stockton, CA this weekend with a spot in the Elite 8 on the line.
This is just great for womens basketball - a second team from Connecticut is also two wins from the Final Four.
Game 381 - (6) Missouri women at (3) Florida State
NCAA Tournament second round
March 19 at Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, FL
ESPN2
This was actually just a five-point game at halftime, but the third quarter belonged to the host Seminoles.
FSU, which advanced to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in school history with a 77-55 win, scored the first eight points of the third and was just getting started. The Seminoles hit seven of their first 10 field goals in the period, including five straight at one point, then began the fourth by scoring the first 10 and went up 66-37 on a Brittany Brown three with 8 1/2 minutes to play.
The No. 3 seed was excellent from behind the arc, hitting 7-of-14, and the defense forced 23 turnovers. Brown handed out eight assists to go along with 16 points, while Shakayla Thomas had 20 and 11.
Missouri still hasn't made a Sweet 16 since 2001.
Other game watched:
(9) Michigan State men vs. (1) Kansas
March 19 at Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, FL
ESPN2
This was actually just a five-point game at halftime, but the third quarter belonged to the host Seminoles.
FSU, which advanced to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in school history with a 77-55 win, scored the first eight points of the third and was just getting started. The Seminoles hit seven of their first 10 field goals in the period, including five straight at one point, then began the fourth by scoring the first 10 and went up 66-37 on a Brittany Brown three with 8 1/2 minutes to play.
The No. 3 seed was excellent from behind the arc, hitting 7-of-14, and the defense forced 23 turnovers. Brown handed out eight assists to go along with 16 points, while Shakayla Thomas had 20 and 11.
Missouri still hasn't made a Sweet 16 since 2001.
Other game watched:
(9) Michigan State men vs. (1) Kansas
Game 215 - (4) Syracuse women vs. (1) Connecticut
NCAA national championship
April 5 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN
ESPN
April 5 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN
ESPN
Game 213 - (7) Washington women vs. (4) Syracuse
NCAA Tournament national semifinals
April 3 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN
ESPN2
April 3 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN
ESPN2
Game 212: (2) Oregon state women vs. (1) Connecticut
NCAA national semifinals
April 3 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN
ESPN
One win to go for the Huskies, who cruised past another opponent (80-51) and are now just a Tuesday victory from a fourth consecutive national title and 11th overall.
It is an absolute pleasure to watch Connecticut play basketball, and not just the stars. You can see the future of Connecticut basketball every single game because 1. plenty of underclassmen contribute; 2. plenty of 9th/10th/11th-players get their 5, 6 minutes at the ends of these routs & 3. Geno Auriemma is the best womens basketball coach of all time.
Of course, the stars are a joy to watch as well.
* Morgan Tuck is just a junior, but knowing very little about scouting or what WNBA teams currently need I would still expect her to forgo her senior year and be a first round pick.
With Breanna Stewart at two fouls just 2:05 in, Tuck took over, and honestly, this semifinal felt one-sided earlier than I expected.
* Stewart is so good that she had those two fouls and was held to just two first-half points, yet still finished with 16 points and only one more foul committed. And she played until a minute remained in the opening quarter.
I'm more impressed with Stewart each time I see her play.
* And I haven't even mentioned Moriah Jefferson, who is a phenomenal point guard with quickness and a pretty mid-range jump shot and who I expect will be an all star at the next level.
Connecticut is bad for womens basketball? No, all of the idiots who have said that, especially that one idiot.
Connecticut is a phenomenal team that wins a lot.
That's just GOOD.
April 3 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN
ESPN
One win to go for the Huskies, who cruised past another opponent (80-51) and are now just a Tuesday victory from a fourth consecutive national title and 11th overall.
It is an absolute pleasure to watch Connecticut play basketball, and not just the stars. You can see the future of Connecticut basketball every single game because 1. plenty of underclassmen contribute; 2. plenty of 9th/10th/11th-players get their 5, 6 minutes at the ends of these routs & 3. Geno Auriemma is the best womens basketball coach of all time.
Of course, the stars are a joy to watch as well.
* Morgan Tuck is just a junior, but knowing very little about scouting or what WNBA teams currently need I would still expect her to forgo her senior year and be a first round pick.
With Breanna Stewart at two fouls just 2:05 in, Tuck took over, and honestly, this semifinal felt one-sided earlier than I expected.
* Stewart is so good that she had those two fouls and was held to just two first-half points, yet still finished with 16 points and only one more foul committed. And she played until a minute remained in the opening quarter.
I'm more impressed with Stewart each time I see her play.
* And I haven't even mentioned Moriah Jefferson, who is a phenomenal point guard with quickness and a pretty mid-range jump shot and who I expect will be an all star at the next level.
Connecticut is bad for womens basketball? No, all of the idiots who have said that, especially that one idiot.
Connecticut is a phenomenal team that wins a lot.
That's just GOOD.
Game 207 - (7) Tennessee women vs. (4) Syracuse
NCAA Tournament regional final
March 27 at Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, SD
ESPN
Syracuse point guard Alexis Peterson is always fun to watch and she was fantastic Sunday (29 points, six assists), leading her team to an 89-67 victory and the school's first trip to the final four.
This is the first of what will become many seasons of closely following the womens tournament, so I don't have a ton of knowledge of past years. I'm still going to guess this has been the craziest in history:
1. There were a pair of 4 vs. 7 regional finals (Washington, Syracuse's semifinal opponent upset fourth-seeded Stanford to also reach the final four for the first time).
2. Top seeds Notre Dame and South Carolina were heavy favorites to the get to Indianapolis, but were eliminated in the Sweet 16 by Stanford & Syracuse, respectively.
3. A pair of No. 2 seeds (Arizona State & Maryland) were knocked out in the round of 32.
And this all happened on one side of the bracket.
* It was a big day for the Scoochie Smith All Stars as well. We'd like to officially welcome Syracuse's Isabella Slim to the team and make her a tri-captain.
March 27 at Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, SD
ESPN
Syracuse point guard Alexis Peterson is always fun to watch and she was fantastic Sunday (29 points, six assists), leading her team to an 89-67 victory and the school's first trip to the final four.
This is the first of what will become many seasons of closely following the womens tournament, so I don't have a ton of knowledge of past years. I'm still going to guess this has been the craziest in history:
1. There were a pair of 4 vs. 7 regional finals (Washington, Syracuse's semifinal opponent upset fourth-seeded Stanford to also reach the final four for the first time).
2. Top seeds Notre Dame and South Carolina were heavy favorites to the get to Indianapolis, but were eliminated in the Sweet 16 by Stanford & Syracuse, respectively.
3. A pair of No. 2 seeds (Arizona State & Maryland) were knocked out in the round of 32.
And this all happened on one side of the bracket.
* It was a big day for the Scoochie Smith All Stars as well. We'd like to officially welcome Syracuse's Isabella Slim to the team and make her a tri-captain.
Games 204 & 205: Final 4 & 1 more step
205 - (2) Oklahoma vs. (1) Oregon
NCAA Tournament regional final
March 26 at Honda Center in Anaheim. CA
CBS
204 - (5) Florida State women vs. (1) Baylor
NCAA Tournament regional semifinals
March 26 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX
ESPN
NCAA Tournament regional final
March 26 at Honda Center in Anaheim. CA
CBS
204 - (5) Florida State women vs. (1) Baylor
NCAA Tournament regional semifinals
March 26 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX
ESPN
Game 202 - (7) Washington women vs. (3) Kentucky
NCAA Tournament regional semifinals
March 25 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
ESPN
The remarkable run for the Huskies continued Friday night.
All American Kelsey Plum scored 23 points and handed out seven assists, while Chantel Osahor was fantastic (19 points, 17 rebounds, five assists). Still, the story of the night was Talia Walton.
The redshirt-senior scored 30 points on 14-of-25 shooting and Kentucky's defense, which allowed nearly 50 percent shooting overall, had no answer for her. She used the baseline like it was a comfortable spot in her driveway, often using pretty fadeaway or pull up jumpers as the seventh-seeded Huskies won 85-72.
Washington has now defeated No. 2 Maryland in the round of 32 and the third-seeded Wildcats, who absurdly were playing a regional semifinal game in Lexington (University of Kentucky location, main campus: Lexington) despite the fact that Maryland also resided in the region.
Another amazing thing about Washington, headed to the Elite 8 for the first time since 2001, is that it basically played with five players. The starters (the big three + Alexus Atchley and Katie Collier) were all on the court for what seemed like the entire 40 minutes. Two reserves got a total of a few minutes of action.
Other game watched:
(7) Wisconsin men vs. (6) Notre Dame
March 25 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
ESPN
The remarkable run for the Huskies continued Friday night.
All American Kelsey Plum scored 23 points and handed out seven assists, while Chantel Osahor was fantastic (19 points, 17 rebounds, five assists). Still, the story of the night was Talia Walton.
The redshirt-senior scored 30 points on 14-of-25 shooting and Kentucky's defense, which allowed nearly 50 percent shooting overall, had no answer for her. She used the baseline like it was a comfortable spot in her driveway, often using pretty fadeaway or pull up jumpers as the seventh-seeded Huskies won 85-72.
Washington has now defeated No. 2 Maryland in the round of 32 and the third-seeded Wildcats, who absurdly were playing a regional semifinal game in Lexington (University of Kentucky location, main campus: Lexington) despite the fact that Maryland also resided in the region.
Another amazing thing about Washington, headed to the Elite 8 for the first time since 2001, is that it basically played with five players. The starters (the big three + Alexus Atchley and Katie Collier) were all on the court for what seemed like the entire 40 minutes. Two reserves got a total of a few minutes of action.
Other game watched:
(7) Wisconsin men vs. (6) Notre Dame
Game 198 - (9) Duquesne women at (1) Connecticut
NCAA tournament second round
March 21 at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT
ESPN2
Well, that certainly got out of hand in a hurry.
Duquesne trailed by just three early in the second quarter, but went 1-for-18 from the field at one stretch during the opening half and the Huskies cruised to a 97-51 victory.
That's 71 consecutive wins for Connecticut.
Breanna Stewart was already a phenomenal player before Monday WHEN SHE BLOCKED THREE SHOTS ON THE SAME POSSESSION. Stewart, one of three Huskies with at least 20 points, blocked two in the paint, then the third came on the perimeter as the shot clocked expired. One of the greatest single-possession defensive achievements I've ever witnessed.
Other games watched:
(5) Florida State vs. (4) Texas A&M
(7) Washington vs. (2) Maryland
March 21 at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT
ESPN2
Well, that certainly got out of hand in a hurry.
Duquesne trailed by just three early in the second quarter, but went 1-for-18 from the field at one stretch during the opening half and the Huskies cruised to a 97-51 victory.
That's 71 consecutive wins for Connecticut.
Breanna Stewart was already a phenomenal player before Monday WHEN SHE BLOCKED THREE SHOTS ON THE SAME POSSESSION. Stewart, one of three Huskies with at least 20 points, blocked two in the paint, then the third came on the perimeter as the shot clocked expired. One of the greatest single-possession defensive achievements I've ever witnessed.
Other games watched:
(5) Florida State vs. (4) Texas A&M
(7) Washington vs. (2) Maryland
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