A full NCAAW schedule last night so here goes:
No. 17 Virginia Tech met Virginia in what proved to be an exciting and entertaining game. The first half was a scrappy, fast-paced affair. How could it not be, with VT’s Georgia Amoore leading the charge? Her energy is non-stop, she’s a prolific and accurate passer, and no slouch from 3. I see her as a true floor general, and the tandem with Elizabeth Kitley makes for an action-packed game. This wasn’t necessarily an easy win for the Hokies, and Virginia’s play was anything but cavalier!
Kitley scored 33, a season-high, plus 18 boards, with Amoore adding 20 plus 14 assists. Kymora Johnson had 22 points and Paris Clark scored 18 for Virginia. Kitley reached 2,500 points, fifth in ACC history. After two consecutive losses last month, VT has seemingly righted the ship with last night’s 76-63 victory their fourth in a row.
Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Louisville cruised
No. 18, THE Ohio State routs Wisconsin 87-49. Wisconsin held their own for the quarter, trailing only by 5 at the half. Then OSU not only stepped on the gas but hit the supercharger in the third and outscored Wisconsin 39-11, which more than sealed the game. Jacy Sheldon, Cotie McMahon, and Eboni Walker all scored in double figures, with McMahon grabbing 10 rebounds to lead the way for OSU, while Serah Williams scored 16 points and had 11 rebounds as the only scorer in double figures for Wisconsin.
No. 14 Notre Dame, coming off a big win over UConn, made short work of Georgia Tech with a pummeling of 85-48. Freshman powerhouse Hannah Hidalgo set a new freshman record with 35 points and added 8 assists and 6 steals. Kylee Watson scored 19, a season-high. No one else for Notre Dame had double figures, and the bench only provided 6 points, so here’s an issue needing tending to. Georgia Tech’s 25.4% shooting was their worst of the season.
No. 16 Louisville beat No. 21 Syracuse 81-69. Syracuse took the first quarter, then Louisville the second, leading Syracuse by only 6 at the half. The third quarter saw Louisville increase their lead to 13, and Syracuse just couldn’t get over the hump in the fourth. Dyashia Fair dropped 28 for Syracuse, moving her into fifth place on the list of the Orange’s all-time scorers.
Louisville had four starters in double figures, with Jefferson leading the way with 21 and Harris dropping 18 plus 14 rebounds. The Louisville bench scored 6. Makes you think how gassed the starters will be come tournament time.
Top-ranked South Carolina and NC State won in Thursday’s NCAAW Slate
No. 1 South Carolina beat Auburn by 22 but only had a 1-point lead after the first and 5 at the half. The second half saw the distance widen to the eventual win, but if someone is going to take down the Gamecocks, it’s going to have to be in the first half and create a buffer for the second. Ashlynn Watkins scored 14 with 15 rebounds, and MiLaysia Fulwiley came off the bench for 15. Te-Hina Paopao was held to 5 points and Hall to a goose egg. While this wasn’t a close win, much like the win over LSU, maybe the cracks are starting to show.
No. 5 NC State managed to overcome #24 UNC 63-59. At the end of the third quarter, the score was 49-48 in favor of NC State, who eked out the win by outscoring UNC by 3 in the fourth. UNC just couldn’t make enough of a push, and while neither team played great in a relatively low-scoring game, UNC, who trailed by only 3 points with 3:45 left, couldn’t make another score. In another low-scoring game, No. 12 Texas led the entire game over.
No. 13 Baylor and won 67-55. For Texas, Booker, Jones, and Moore all scored in double figures for 55; 12 for everyone else, with no one getting more than 4 points. Andrews had 11 for Baylor as the lone player in double figures.
No. 19 Gonzaga easily beat USD 80-52 for their 15th straight win. Brynna Maxwell scored 19 with 5 of Gonzaga’s 12 3-pointers. All Gonzaga starters scored in doubles, and once again, not much off the bench, who scored only 10. That does it for today. Will the pair from Washington pull off another Pacific Northwest victory party tonight? With Washington State facing No. 6 Colorado and Washington versus No. 20 Utah, maybe not.
‘And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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