The madness has come to the women’s match.
It’s not a sixteen seed upsetting a No. 1, or considerably-recognized school knocking off a powerhouse. It’s shut, nonetheless, and it speaks volumes regarding the rising depth of the women’s sport.
For simply the fifth time since 1994, and first time since 2009, a No. 1 seed was knocked out earlier than the candy sixteen. Eighth-seeded Ole Miss additionally despatched prime-seeded Stanford to its earliest exit from the match since 2007.
“simply an unbelievable quantity of gratitude,” Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin mentioned after her staff’s fifty 4-forty nine win. “We’ve been ready for an massive one. … For our staff to try this, I’m simply stuffed with gratitude.”
There was debate whether or not Stanford ought to have been a No. 1 seed after dropping its common-season finale after which shedding inside the semifinals of the Pac-12 match. Ole Miss additionally was most seemingly underseeded, having taken South Carolina to OT in the course of the common season.
adjust to the madness: latest women’s NCAA match school Basketball Scores and Schedules
nonetheless, to see the Rebels beat Stanford – on the Cardinal’s residence court docket, no much less – displays how deep the women’s sport has develop to be. the occasions of the early rounds being gimmes for the very biggest seeds are over.
Even Stanford followers should admit that’s a superb factor.
right here’s a take a look on the winners and losers from Day three of the NCAA women’s match:
SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: all of the movement from the women’s and males’s tournaments
women’S match: Scores and schedules of all of the video games
Winners
vitality forwards
It was an massive day for the bigs.
There would possibly as effectively have been a “This residence belongs to” label on the paint for as monstrous as a outcome of the performances by LSU’s Angel Reese, Utah’s Alissa Pili and Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley had been. Stanford’s loss would have been means extra lopsided if not for Cameron Brink’s spectacular effort.
Brink had thirteen rebounds and seven blocks — three on simply one play! — and she or he virtually single-handedly obtained Stanford again proper into a sport it trailed by thirteen midway by the third quarter. however Brink did not get ample assist offensively or, pretty frankly, from Stanford’s teaching workers.
LSU had a 32-20 benefit inside the paint over Michigan, and it was largely as a outcome of of Reese. She had a whopping 24 rebounds, 14 of which had been on the offensive glass, and 6 blocked photographs. She scored a staff-extreme 25 factors, too inside the Tigers’ sixty six-forty two romp.
Of Pili’s 10 rebounds, none had been larger than these she had on Princeton’s subsequent two possessions after paring what had been a thirteen-level Utah finish in two. With Pili prowling inside the paint, the Tigers couldn’t get attractiveness to tie or take the lead, permitting the Utes to maintain of for a sixty three-fifty six win.
Kitley had a double-double – the fifty fifth of her profession, matching Virginia Tech’s all-time doc. although South Dakota State had an eight-level benefit inside the paint, 38-26, it had solely eight second-likelihood factors. Of Kitley’s 14 boards, 9 had been on the defensive glass, serving to the Hokies surge to a seventy two-60 win.
Lauren Ebo
regardless of taking half in at residence for the major two rounds, many thought Notre Dame could be ripe for an upset given the scarcity of level guard Olivia Miles. Senior coronary heart Lauren Ebo had completely different ideas.
Ebo turned in a spectacular efficiency inside the Irish’s fifty three-forty eight win over eleventh-seeded Mississippi State, ending with 10 factors, 18 rebounds and 5 blocks in 31 minutes. 5 of her 18 rebounds had been offensive, none larger than her board and puttback with 4:38 to go that gave Notre Dame the lead as quickly as extra. And her free throw with 35 seconds to play gave the Irish a forty nine-forty five lead and made it a two possession sport.
Virginia Tech
Welcome again to the candy sixteen, Hokies. It’s been a whereas.
Virginia Tech reached the second weekend of the NCAA match for simply the second time in program historic previous, and first since 1999, with its victory over South Dakota State.
“to have the flexibility to get this group, this program to this stage might be very, very particular,” Hokies coach Kenny Brooks mentioned. “It’s very gratifying to have the flexibility to get to this point.”
It’s already been a historic season for the Hokies. The win over South Dakota State was Virginia Tech’s twenty ninth this yr, most in staff historic previous. The Hokies obtained their first ACC match title – of their first look inside the sport, no much less – and had been rewarded with a No. 1 seed, their biggest ever inside the NCAA match.
“It means masses to be a aspect of it as a outcome of Hokie Nation might be very particular,” Brooks mentioned. “great people have come by right here in all completely different sports activities and to have the flexibility to contribute to it means masses.
“we have now so many great purposes,” he added. “as quickly as we’re in a place to return out and do our half, it’s very gratifying.”
Cheyney State
daybreak Staley by no means misses an alternative to practice.
The South Carolina coach wore a Cheyney State jersey Sunday, a sartorial shoutout to the one HBCU staff to make a Division I remaining 4. regardless of being Division II on the time, Cheyney State performed inside the inaugural NCAA women’s match in 1982 and made all of it of the biggest approach to the championship sport earlier than shedding to Louisiana Tech.
That staff was coached by hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer, who Staley has usually praised for every her affect on the sport and for opening the door for completely different Black coaches.
“Cheyney State was the one HBCU to make it to a remaining 4 and for them to be led by Coach Stringer, who opened doorways that now I stroll by, it was truly an honor to put on this jersey and to signify them,” Staley mentioned after the sport.
The No. forty 4 jersey belonged to Yolanda Laney – “not this jersey,” Staley clarified – who’s most seemingly from Philadelphia. truly, one in all many basketball league’s Staley performed in rising up was started by Laney.
A pal despatched Staley the jersey, she mentioned.
“I simply like the jersey, I like what it stands for, I like that it is Coach Stringer,” Staley mentioned.
Cheyney State has further that means for Staley as a outcome of it’s the place John Chaney started his school teaching profession. Chaney was Temple’s males’s coach when Staley was employed by the Owls and he served as a mentor.
Losers
Georgia ball dealing with
inside the event you come on the queen, you biggest not throw away the ball.
Georgia gave Caitlin Clark and Iowa all it might deal with on the Hawkeyes’ residence flooring, and had Iowa teetering on the brink with 2:17 to play after UGA hit a three to get inside two, sixty eight-sixty six. Iowa missed its subsequent shot and UGA had an alternative to tie or take the lead — however then the Bulldogs turned it over on again-to-again-to-again possessions.
4 turnovers inside the remaining three:38, collectively with these three in a row, straight correlated to UGA’s scoring drought the final 2:17 of the sport and finally, Iowa’s seventy 4-sixty six win. The second turnover in that string was the worst, as Clark turned it into two factors for the Hawkeyes. Georgia accomplished with 18 turnovers, which Iowa turned into 17 factors.
residence-court docket benefit
it is understandable why the NCAA continues taking half in the major two rounds at campus websites. the group at Cassell Coliseum was so raucous, Virginia Tech gamers mentioned they would possibly really feel the constructing shake. The decibel stage at Carver-Hawkeye enviornment needed to have registered on a seismograph machine. The arenas at LSU and South Carolina had been packed.
however is it truthful inside the NCAA match, when it is lose and your season is over?
you almost certainly might make the argument that Georgia would have beat Iowa if that sport was performed on a impartial court docket. Princeton would possibly have had a larger shot late in direction of Utah if taking half in anyplace else. and there is not any means Stanford would have been inside 10 factors of Ole Miss had the sport not been on the Cardinal’s residence flooring.
the women’s sport has grown ample that the NCAA should ponder impartial courts for all three weekends of the match.
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