Well, we’ve just about come to the end of the NCAAW regular season, and heads now turn to conference tournaments. There were 21 games over the weekend, some with seeding implications, some for pride, and some to look toward next year. As a change of pace, I’m going to list the games in no particular order, and briefly highlight what will be next. I’ll start with Saturday’s games.
UCLA gets the PAC-12 conference win against Arizona
No. 8 UCLA over Arizona 61-41. UCLA is sitting two games behind conference leader Stanford and will be the #3 seed in the PAC-12 Tournament. Arizona is a No. 7 seed and will face No. 10 seed Washington in the first round on Wednesday. According to Charlie Creme’s Bracketology, Arizona is on the bubble in the First Four Out. UCLA is a No. 1 seed in the Portland 4 bracket.
Texas and UNLV take care of business in their respective matchups
No. 3 Texas, after a tied first quarter, took it to BYU and won 71-46. Texas sits a game behind Oklahoma in conference play and has a bye until the quarterfinals of the BIG 12. BYU has a first-round bye. Texas is currently a #2 seed in the Portland 4 region.
No. 24 UNLV steamrolled SDSU 100-41 for their 11th straight win, adding 16 3-point shots as well. UNLV leads the MWC and is a No. 8 seed in the Portland 3 bracket. If they make it through the first game, they will potentially meet Stanford. Both UNLV and SDSU have one remaining game on Tuesday, March 5.
Unranked Kansas defeats No. 20 Oklahoma in BIG 12 play
Kansas upset No. 20 Oklahoma on 29 points from S’Mya Nichols and 26 from Holly Kersgieter. Oklahoma was up 39-37 at the half, but Kansas outscored the Sooners 46-35 in the second half. Oklahoma sits at No. 1 in the BIG 12 and has a double bye for the conference tournament. Kansas starts play on Friday.
No. 4 Stanford and No. 15 Kansas State cruise in their NCAAW conference games
No. 4 Stanford sent Oregon to their 13th straight loss, winning 76-56. The Cardinal lead the PAC-12 and are currently the No. 1 seed in the Portland 3 region. They could potentially meet Iowa or perhaps NC State in the Elite Eight, but there are some unknowns along the way, including Gonzaga and Kansas State.
No. 15 Kansas State made short work of Texas Tech, beating them 73-49. Kansas State sits third in the BIG 12 Conference and is a No. 5 seed in the Portland 3 region. If Creme’s Bracketology were on the money, they would first meet Drake University, the pride of the MVC. They can be sneakily good, and make the term “mid-major” rather antique.
No. 13 Colorado falls to Washington State
No. 13 Colorado fell to pesky Washington State 72-63. Colorado was ranked as high as No. 3 but has lost five of their last six games. They have one game left against Oregon. Washington State ends on the road at California. Colorado sits at the No. 4 seed in the Albany 2 region, and could potentially face Syracuse, and then perhaps Ohio State.
Oregon State, Washington, and USC get wins in PAC-12 action
After trailing by two going into the second quarter, the Beavers of No. 11 Oregon State decided to gnaw away at Cal and won 79-58. The kids from Corvallis are 4th in the PAC-12 and are a No. 3 seed in the Portland 4 region. It’s a stacked region, and getting through it is going to be a long road.
No. 18 Utah, who handily beat Washington a month ago, fell 62-47. Washington outshot Utah 49%-32%, and Alissa Pili was held to 5 points. Expectations were high for the Utes, but the season had a few more bumps than they would have liked. Utah is currently a No. 5 seed in the Albany 1 region, and could possibly face a very strong Oklahoma team.
No. 7 USC easily defeated Arizona State, led of course by JuJu Watkins, who scored 26 points. USC sits tied with UCLA in the No. 2 spot in the PAC-12 and is a No. 2 seed in the Albany 1 region. They could face UConn, which could be a stumbling block if healthy.
No. 24 West Virginia wins over TCU
No. 24 West Virginia held off TCU and won 57-49. WVU is tied for 4th in the BIG 12, and Charlie Creme has them as a No. 7 seed in the Portland 3 region. They could run into the Caitlin Clark show if they get through their first game.
No. 10 UConn picks up in final conference matchup
No. 10 UConn closed out yet another undefeated conference season by beating Providence 65-42. This game showed us that the Husky Puppy Pound (a.k.a. The Bench) really needs to step up. Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards can’t do it all. They have until Saturday to figure it out, and if Amari DeBerry, who is in concussion protocol, is out, the short bench gets even shorter.
The Huskies are a No. 3 seed in the Albany 1 region and would have to get through a tough Duke team and then potentially face USC. Can Watkins be stopped?
Virginia upsets No. 5 Virginia Tech at home
In Sunday’s games, No. 5 Virginia Tech was upset by a very determined Virginia squad 80-75. VT star Elizabeth Kitley was injured in the third quarter and did not return. Georgia Amoore scored a career-high 39 points including eight 3s. Kitley left with 20 points. Two consecutive losses for VT will definitely affect their seeding in the NCAAW Tournament.
There were 10 ties, but Virginia hung on, with free throws by Sam Brunelle sealing the deal. VT has the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament, so they’ve got to find a way to get everyone involved as they have in the past.
Top-ranked South Carolina wins over Tennessee to wrap up NCAAW perfection
No. 1 South Carolina concluded a perfect regular season by beating Tennessee 76-68. Although Tennessee got within five points in the fourth quarter, they just couldn’t get over the hump, which has happened more than once this season. South Carolina goes into the SEC tournament at No. 1, and if anyone is capable of beating them, that will be the surprise of the season. Tennessee is a No. 8 seed in the Portland 4 region according to Charlie Creme. I will be surprised if that is where they end up.
Baylor wins over BIG 12 foe Oklahoma State
After a slow start in the first quarter, No. 21 Baylor came back to beat Oklahoma State 67-45 on some timely defensive play. How high Baylor can go in the BIG 12 Tournament remains to be seen with Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas State in front of them. Impossible? No. Improbable? Very. Listed as a #6 seed in the Albany 2 region, it doesn’t get any easier, but one tournament at a time.
Clark makes history in Iowa’s win over Ohio State
No. 6 Iowa beat No. 2 Ohio State 93-83 on a night that was focused on Caitlin Clark breaking Pete Maravich’s scoring record as much as getting the win. Going into the second half, Iowa remained in control with a strong team effort. Ohio State is the No. 1 seed for the BIG Ten Tournament, but Iowa can’t be counted out for a tournament win.
The Greatest of All Time. @CaitlinClark22 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/sbNpeU1zaY
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) March 3, 2024
Neither can Ohio State, who will not simply roll over. Ohio State will enter the NCAAW Tournament as a No. 1 seed and Iowa a No. 2. That is not likely to change. As we’ve seen with many teams, the games in March Madness are not always a reflection of games from the season, and both Iowa and Ohio State know that.
LSU and NC State get it done in NCAAW conference play
No. 9 LSU took care of Kentucky 77-56. LSU led the entire game, with four starters in double figures but only two bench points. Like so many other teams, starters need help. This time they didn’t, but can LSU sustain that through the conference tournament and then the big one? Currently a No. 3 seed in the Albany 2 region, they could possibly face Baylor and Virginia Tech. Can LSU pull it out again?
No. 12 NC State started their game with Wake Forest on a molasses-coated first quarter of 8-4. They held a one-point lead going into the fourth quarter, where they finally found the moxie to outscore Wake Forest 27-10 for the win, 75-57. The Wolf Pack is a No. 2 seed in the ACC Tournament and a projected No. 7 seed in the Portland 4 region. I don’t see them making a big run in the NCAAW Tournament, not with teams like Louisville, Notre Dame, Indiana, and UCLA potentially in their way.
Notre Dame and Indiana win at home in NCAAW play
It looked as though No. 22 Louisville might have the juice to get past No. 17 Notre Dame, but a monster third quarter put those notions to rest, and Notre Dame won 74-58. Louisville has gone 2-3 in their last five games, while Notre Dame has won five straight. Louisville is a projected No. 6 seed in the Portland 4 region, and Notre Dame is a No. 5 seed. While both teams have had some tough losses, I’m giving the nod to Notre Dame to go farther in the Big Dance. Why? Hannah Hidalgo.
No. 14 Indiana beat Maryland 71-54, holding the lead for the entire game. The Hoosiers lost Mackenzie Holmes to an injury late in the third quarter, although she returned to the bench, walking without a limp, so hopefully it isn’t serious. Indiana sits tied with Iowa for second place in the BIG 10. A possible No. 4 seed in the Portland 4 region, Indiana could face Notre Dame in Bloomington. If home-court advantage is a real thing, they’re going to need it.
Creighton wins three straight to close out BIG EAST conference action
No. 23 Creighton won its final conference game 72-65 over Seton Hall, but not without a fight. Seton Hall led by two at the half, by one after the third quarter, and then Creighton pulled it out in the fourth. Creighton sits behind UConn in the BIG EAST and is a projected No. 6 seed in the Portland 3 region. If Creighton plays lights-out ball, they could possibly meet Iowa in Iowa City, which, as we’ve seen, is no easy place to play.
So that’s it for the weekend games. Remember, all the projections for the NCAAW Tournament are solely based on Charlie Creme’s Bracketology. How accurate that is, well, who knows, but it is probably a good indication of what could be. More than anything, it is fun, and after all, that’s really the point, right?
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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