The slate grew some last night to six NCAAW Top 25 games. There were two blowouts, two upsets, one of which was another double overtime nail-biter, and a couple of expected wins, although these days, perhaps we shouldn’t expect much, given some of the surprising results throughout the season.
First, No. 2 Ohio State has more than likely escaped the curse of being No. 2 by routing the upstart Cornhuskers of Nebraska 80-47. Jacy Sheldon and Cutie McMahon led the charge, scoring 23 and 20 respectively, with McMahon pulling down 10 boards, and Sheldon 6 boards and 6 assists. Rikki Harris added 11 points off the bench, and that was it for double-digit scorers. In fact, the other three starts combined for only 11 points, and the rest of the bench only 15 with four goose eggs.
Make of that what you will, but Sheldon and McMahon won the game. Nebraska had no one in double digits, but Alexis Markowski scored 9 points and grabbed 16 boards. Currently, Nebraska sits at fourth in the BIG 10 and Charlie Creme has them as a No. 8 seed, so while this loss didn’t knock them off the bracket, they’ll need to re-group and put some more games in the win column.
UConn bounces back with a blowout win over Cincinnati
After their loss to South Carolina, No. 15 UConn rolled into Cincinnati and proceeded to gobble up several bowls of their famous chili and demolish Xavier 86-40. By the end of the third quarter, UConn had scored 71 and Xavier 18. However, Xavier outscored UConn’s bench 22-15 in the fourth quarter and therein lies one of the obstacles for the Huskies. The bench has had so little playing time. They really didn’t have much of a rhythm, and committed six turnovers after Paige Bueckers left the game.
However, Ice Brady and Qadence Samuels combined for 21 points off the bench, which is certainly an improvement. They are the two bench players that Coach Auriemma must rely on to bolster the starters. Samuels needs more consistency in shooting the three, and Brady must continue to grow her confidence. She added 14 boards to her 11 points, which is a big positive for the Huskies. Ashlynn Shade and KK Arnold remain strong contributors, whose production will only get better.
As for Xavier, one can only hope that somewhere there is a solution. Is it the coach, the team, or both? It’s a question in desperate need of an answer.
Oklahoma picks up another win in BIG 12 NCAAW conference play
No. 23 Oklahoma welcomed No. 21 Baylor to Norman and handed them an 84-73 loss. Baylor and Oklahoma have identical overall wins and losses, but Oklahoma has a 21-1 conference record while Baylor is now at 7-6. Everyone who played scored for Baylor, with Sarah Andrews scoring 14, and Dre’una Edwards and Jana Van Gytenbeek each grabbing 13 points. Sophomore Kiersten Johnson scored 20 points off the bench, a career-high. Payton Verhulst recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 boards, and Nevaeh Tot and Sahara Williams each added 14.
Skylar Vann added 10 off the bench. Baylor, after a 14-0 start to the season, has been up and down, with only one win over a ranked opponent, and going 4-6. Their only upcoming game with a ranked opponent is West Virginia, the last ranked team they beat. Oklahoma is currently on a nine-game winning streak. I’ve always appreciated Jennie Baranczyk’s coaching style from when she had great success leading the Drake Bulldogs.
As far as I’m concerned, she’s a WNBA coach waiting in the wings. Someone needs to take notice. She brings a positive and tenacious approach to the game. Oklahoma is in good hands.
Texas wins on the road over Houston
No. 5 Texas beat Houston 82-66, winning their fifth consecutive game. Leading scorers Madison Booker and DeYona Gaston combined for 44 points and 15 rebounds, with Aaliyah Moore scoring 12 points and 8 boards. Laila Blair led the way for Houston with 23 points, Maliyah Johnson scored 12, and Britney Onyeje 11 off the bench. The only other bench player to score was N’yah Boyd, who bagged 9. Five players got the goose egg, four bench, and one starter, while Texas only had one player with no points.
Obviously, bench production seems to always be a running theme, and unfortunately, my crystal ball is on the fritz, so I have no answer.
Indiana gets a road win over Wisconsin in BIG 10 action
No. 14 Indiana took down Wisconsin 68-54. At the half, IU was up 41-25. Wisconsin then went on a 12-2 run to start the third and outscored Indiana 14-7. Then Indiana took the fourth with Holmes leading the way and eventually regained five points for the win. Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes scored 24 with 8 rebounds, and Sara Scalia scored 15, going 4-8 from three, setting the Indiana season record. Chloe Moore-McNeil added 12 points.
For Wisconsin, Sarah Williams scored 18 points with 14 boards, Ronnie Porter added 11 points, and Brooke Schramek 10.
Iowa State upsets top-10 ranked Kansas at home
Finally, Iowa State outlasted No. 7 Kansas in a double overtime match, 96-93. Iowa State took the first half 39-26, with Kansas State the second half 46-33. In the first overtime, neither team had a lead of more than two. In the second overtime, it was much the same until Serena Sundell hit a three at the 1:23 mark, putting Kansas State up by one. A minute later, Hannah Belanger hit two free throws, and Iowa State took the one-point lead. Then Addy Brown made two free throws for Iowa State, bringing the lead to three.
Seven seconds later Brylee Glenn hit a layup and cut the lead to one. At the 0:03 mark, a costly foul on Gisela Sanchez put Addy Brown at the line, and her two made free throws sealed the win for the Cyclones. I can’t imagine the fans of either team having any fingernails left by the end of the game. For Kansas State, Ayoka Lee and Serena Sundell each had 20 points, Brylee Glenn had 14, Gabby Gregory had 13, and Gisela Sanchez had 10 off the bench.
For Iowa State, Addy Brown and Audi Crooks each scored 20, Emily Ryan scored 12 with 12 assists, and Isnelle Natabou and Kelsey Joens scored 10 and 13 respectively.
Caitlin Clark and Iowa in action tonight
Of course, everyone’s eyes will be on Caitlin Clark tonight as the Hawkeyes take on Michigan. The game can be seen on Peacock at 8 pm ET. It is my hope that after the record goes down, all the brouhaha will also go down. Caitlin Clark is a remarkable talent and deserves better treatment. Whether she comes into the WNBA this season or next, I am sure that she will be welcomed with enthusiasm and respect, not only for what she has done but for what she will do.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
Follow Beyond Women’s Sports for more from the world of sports.
