Big West first round
March 7 at Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, CA
espn3.com
Unfortunately for Cal Poly, Hannah Gilbert scored more than half of her team's points in a 71-50 loss.
Gilbert was excellent in what turned out to be her final collegiate game, showcasing some nice post moves to score 26 points on 12-of-23 shooting (she also blocked three shots in 37 minutes), but her teammates were just 9-for-42 (21%).
The bigger story turned out to be the work of Olivia Crawford. The sophomore guard hit five threes on her way to 21 points - she averaged just 7.5 points coming in - and really had the Rainbows in control from the start. Briana Harris added 18 points as Hawaii never trailed & rolled into the quarterfinals by hitting 54% from the field in the second half.
Scoochie Smith all star and Cal Poly redshirt-freshman Breezi Holt didn't score in three minutes of action.
Game 353 - (2) Saint Mary's vs. (1) Gonzaga
West Coast championship
March 7 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV
ESPN
I still can't believe this was Gonzaga's 20th CONSECUTIVE appearance in the WCC championship game. That alone is an unbelievable accomplishment, but the Bulldogs took it a step further and won their fifth straight league title, 74-56.
Gonzaga (32-1), with the inside-outside duo of the dynamic Nigel Williams-Goss and Przemek Karnowski (who with a really good post game, specifically a nice lefty jump hook, is NBA-ready right now), should grab a No. 1 seed when the field is announced on Sunday.
Saint Mary's got within 51-46 on an Evan Fitzner corner three with a little over 10 minutes to play, but the Gaels never got closer.
Saint Mary's should be comfortably in the tournament as well - I'm thinking a No. 6 or 7 seed - despite suffering three of its four losses to Gonzaga.
Also
March 7 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV
ESPN
I still can't believe this was Gonzaga's 20th CONSECUTIVE appearance in the WCC championship game. That alone is an unbelievable accomplishment, but the Bulldogs took it a step further and won their fifth straight league title, 74-56.
Gonzaga (32-1), with the inside-outside duo of the dynamic Nigel Williams-Goss and Przemek Karnowski (who with a really good post game, specifically a nice lefty jump hook, is NBA-ready right now), should grab a No. 1 seed when the field is announced on Sunday.
Saint Mary's got within 51-46 on an Evan Fitzner corner three with a little over 10 minutes to play, but the Gaels never got closer.
Saint Mary's should be comfortably in the tournament as well - I'm thinking a No. 6 or 7 seed - despite suffering three of its four losses to Gonzaga.
Also
Game 352 - (10) South Alabama women vs. (7) Georgia State
Sun Belt first round
March 7 at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA
espn3.com
March 7 at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA
espn3.com
Games 350-351: WCC semis
351 - (3) BYU vs. (2) Saint Mary's
350 - (4) Santa Clara vs. (1) Gonzaga
West Coast semifinals
March 6 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV
ESPN
Saint Mary's defense held BYU to 31% shooting in a 81-50 blowout victory. The Gaels' offense was also rolling as they hit 13-of-25 from behind the arc and got double-doubles from both Emmet Naar, who handed out 11 assists to go along with 12 points, and Jock Landale (22 points and 10 rebounds).
That'll set up a championship game match up with Associated Press No. 4 Gonzaga, which had a few problems with the Broncos, but won 77-68 to reach the WCC final for the 20th consecutive season.
Not much more to say about Nigel Williams-Goss, whose followed winning the WCC player of the year award with an average of 22.5 points, seven rebounds and 4.5 assists in two tournament wins over Pacific and the Gaels.
Jared Brownridge was once again tremendous for the No. 4 seed, scoring a game-high 32 points in a losing effort.
350 - (4) Santa Clara vs. (1) Gonzaga
West Coast semifinals
March 6 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV
ESPN
Saint Mary's defense held BYU to 31% shooting in a 81-50 blowout victory. The Gaels' offense was also rolling as they hit 13-of-25 from behind the arc and got double-doubles from both Emmet Naar, who handed out 11 assists to go along with 12 points, and Jock Landale (22 points and 10 rebounds).
That'll set up a championship game match up with Associated Press No. 4 Gonzaga, which had a few problems with the Broncos, but won 77-68 to reach the WCC final for the 20th consecutive season.
Not much more to say about Nigel Williams-Goss, whose followed winning the WCC player of the year award with an average of 22.5 points, seven rebounds and 4.5 assists in two tournament wins over Pacific and the Gaels.
Jared Brownridge was once again tremendous for the No. 4 seed, scoring a game-high 32 points in a losing effort.
Games 348-349: One champ, one finalist
349 - (3) East Tennessee State vs. (1) UNC-Greensboro
Southern championship
March 6 at US Cellular Center in Asheville, NC
ESPN
348 - (3) Marquette women vs. (2) Creighton
Big East semifinals
March 6 at Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee, WI
FS1
Southern championship
March 6 at US Cellular Center in Asheville, NC
ESPN
348 - (3) Marquette women vs. (2) Creighton
Big East semifinals
March 6 at Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee, WI
FS1
Game 347 - (2) Stanford women vs. (1) Oregon State
Pac 12 championship
March 5 at Key Arena in Seattle, WA
ESPN2
Oregon State's defense came into the title game tied for eighth nationally in scoring defense, but it was the Cardinal defense that was the most impressive.
True, Stanford came in 21st allowing an average of just 56 points, but the Beavers fell well below that in a 48-43 defeat. Oregon State scored seven points in each of the final three quarters and shot 16% from the field in the second half. Outstanding Oregon State guard Sydney Wiese was harrassed with double teams all night and never really got going, finishing with 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting.
Amazingly, OSU started the game hitting its first six shots and led 16-3 5 1/2 minutes in.
The most impressive individual performance came from Alanna Smith, who was great off the bench with 18 points and half of Stanford's eight blocked shots.
It was fitting that these two closed the Pac 12 season with such a close contest. In the two regular season meetings, OSU won 72-69 in double overtime in January and 50-47 in late-February.
The Cardinal won their 12th Pac 12 title.
March 5 at Key Arena in Seattle, WA
ESPN2
Oregon State's defense came into the title game tied for eighth nationally in scoring defense, but it was the Cardinal defense that was the most impressive.
True, Stanford came in 21st allowing an average of just 56 points, but the Beavers fell well below that in a 48-43 defeat. Oregon State scored seven points in each of the final three quarters and shot 16% from the field in the second half. Outstanding Oregon State guard Sydney Wiese was harrassed with double teams all night and never really got going, finishing with 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting.
Amazingly, OSU started the game hitting its first six shots and led 16-3 5 1/2 minutes in.
The most impressive individual performance came from Alanna Smith, who was great off the bench with 18 points and half of Stanford's eight blocked shots.
It was fitting that these two closed the Pac 12 season with such a close contest. In the two regular season meetings, OSU won 72-69 in double overtime in January and 50-47 in late-February.
The Cardinal won their 12th Pac 12 title.
Game 346 - (3) Iona vs. (2) Saint Peter's
MAAC semifinals
March 5 at Times Union Center in Albany, NY
ESPN
Iona reached its fifth consecutive league title game, thanks to a huge, second-half run and the work of Jordan Washington.
The Gaels, who will look for consecutive tournament titles when they play surprise No. 4 seed Siena in Monday's final, trailed 34-25 about two minutes into the second half when Jon Severe's jumper at the 17:42 run got the third seed started on a 17-0 spurt. By the time the run ended - after a Washington-assisted Rickey McGill jumper - Iona led 42-34 with 14 1/2 minutes to go.
St. Peter's got to within two points at the 13:21 mark, but Washington had eight of his game-high 22 points and McGill assisted on three baskets and scored eight of his nine points over the final 13 minutes to help the New Rochelle, NY school advance with a 73-65 win.
* Iona had a 2-to-1 assist ratio for the game, handing out 14 assists while giving it up just seven times.
* This is Tim Cluess' seventh season as head coach at Iona, and his teams have now appeared in the league title game six times.
* Great night for Saint Peter's Trevis Wyche, who along with Quadir Welton had a team-high 18 points to go along with six rebounds, four assists and just one turnover.
March 5 at Times Union Center in Albany, NY
ESPN
Iona reached its fifth consecutive league title game, thanks to a huge, second-half run and the work of Jordan Washington.
The Gaels, who will look for consecutive tournament titles when they play surprise No. 4 seed Siena in Monday's final, trailed 34-25 about two minutes into the second half when Jon Severe's jumper at the 17:42 run got the third seed started on a 17-0 spurt. By the time the run ended - after a Washington-assisted Rickey McGill jumper - Iona led 42-34 with 14 1/2 minutes to go.
St. Peter's got to within two points at the 13:21 mark, but Washington had eight of his game-high 22 points and McGill assisted on three baskets and scored eight of his nine points over the final 13 minutes to help the New Rochelle, NY school advance with a 73-65 win.
* Iona had a 2-to-1 assist ratio for the game, handing out 14 assists while giving it up just seven times.
* This is Tim Cluess' seventh season as head coach at Iona, and his teams have now appeared in the league title game six times.
* Great night for Saint Peter's Trevis Wyche, who along with Quadir Welton had a team-high 18 points to go along with six rebounds, four assists and just one turnover.
Game 345 - (2) Alabama-Huntsville vs. (1) Valdosta State
Gulf South (Division II) championship
March 5 at Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham, AL
ESPN
What a performance by Seab Webster, who scored 35 points to lead the No. 2 seed Chargers to a 94-91 win and their second Gulf South title in three years.
Webster, a senior forward, hit 10-of-18 from the field, nearly doubling his scoring average, while adding 11 rebounds. Redshirt-senior Troy Saxton also had a great day, contributing 15 points and eight assists.
Huntsville has lost just twice since the beginning of February - once in overtime to Valdosta State back on February 16 and by two points to Christian Brothers a week later.
Another tough finish to the league season for Valdosta State, which still has never won a conference tournament crown. Jeremiah Hill, the conference's player of the year, was one of six in double figures with 14 points, though just five came in the second half.
The Division II field was announced a few hours after Huntsville captured the championship. The Chargers were given the No. 1 seed in the South region and will host eighth-seeded and SIAC champion Clark Atlanta in the opening round. Valdosta State received an at-large bid & a No. 2 seed and will play No. 7 Rollins in round one.
The tournament begins March 11.
March 5 at Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham, AL
ESPN
What a performance by Seab Webster, who scored 35 points to lead the No. 2 seed Chargers to a 94-91 win and their second Gulf South title in three years.
Webster, a senior forward, hit 10-of-18 from the field, nearly doubling his scoring average, while adding 11 rebounds. Redshirt-senior Troy Saxton also had a great day, contributing 15 points and eight assists.
Huntsville has lost just twice since the beginning of February - once in overtime to Valdosta State back on February 16 and by two points to Christian Brothers a week later.
Another tough finish to the league season for Valdosta State, which still has never won a conference tournament crown. Jeremiah Hill, the conference's player of the year, was one of six in double figures with 14 points, though just five came in the second half.
The Division II field was announced a few hours after Huntsville captured the championship. The Chargers were given the No. 1 seed in the South region and will host eighth-seeded and SIAC champion Clark Atlanta in the opening round. Valdosta State received an at-large bid & a No. 2 seed and will play No. 7 Rollins in round one.
The tournament begins March 11.
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