We’re getting down to the wire when teams are jockeying for positions in the conferences. Every one of the NCAAW games counts. Let’s get into it.
No. 24 West Virginia rolled into Stillwater looking to make up some ground after two consecutive losses. However, Oklahoma State had other ideas. Things rolled along fairly evenly in the first quarter until the 4:55 mark when Stailee Heard put the Cowgirls up 10-9. Jayla Hemingway immediately hit a three for WVU at 4:37, and then the Mountaineers went ice cold, allowing OKST to add some more points, ending the quarter ahead 16-12.
By the end of the third quarter, OKST had built an 11-point lead, and although WVU got as close as 7 in the fourth, they would go no further, and the Cowgirls upset the Mountaineers 68-61. OKST had 19 turnovers to WVU’s 15 but scored 20 points off them as opposed to WVU’s 12. There were 40 fouls committed in the game, with WVU having 23 to OKST’s 17.
No one ever really ran away with the game, and both teams had scoring lulls, but OKST managed to capitalize just a bit more and simply had a little extra gas in the tank. For West Virginia, Jordan Harrison scored 22 points and JJ Quinerly scored 17. Anna Gret Asi led the Cowgirls with 22, with Quincy Noble adding 15 and Hannah Busters 13. This could knock WVU out of the Top 25. They have one game left against TCU on Saturday, so we’ll see how much this affects them for NCAA Tournament seeding.
No. 23 Creighton takes care of Xavier is NCAAW action
Xavier came to Omaha to face No. 23 Creighton, and as much as I hate to say it, got pummeled by a score of 99-57. With only one overall win and no conference wins, one has to wonder where Xavier goes from here. The BIG EAST is a tough conference, and whatever overhauling is required needs to be addressed immediately if they want to be competitive next season. For Creighton, all five starters were in double figures, and everyone off the bench scored.
Only one starter and one bench player hit double digits for Xavier. Creighton’s final game is against Seton Hall, so it is a must-win for the Bluejays for seeding.
No. 21 Baylor cruises to double-digit win over Cincinnati
#21 Baylor met Cincinnati and won 74-55. By the end of the third quarter, Baylor had opened up a 29-point lead, but allowed the Bearcats to make up some ground, trimming the lead down to 19 points, but that was it for Cincinnati. Only one starter, Bella Fontleroy, had double digits with 14.
Jana Van Gytenbeek led all scorers with 19, and Dre’Una Edwards scored 10 with 7 boards, both off the bench. Baylor faces Oklahoma State for their final game. After OKST’s gutsy win over West Virginia, the Bears must take this game very seriously to close out the regular season with a win.
No. 14 Indiana gets a 20-point road win over Northwestern
Finally, the Hoosiers of No. 14 Indiana came to Evanston to face Northwestern, and from where I sit, they did not disappoint at all. I am becoming more and more appreciative of Teri Moren as a coach and Indiana as a team. They are not what I would call a flashy team, but a solid, disciplined, and efficient team. With Mackenzie Holmes at the helm, they played as a well-oiled machine, and even though they had 14 turnovers to Northwestern’s 9, their shooting efficiency made up for it, going 32-60 at 53.3%.
Holmes is a lot of fun to watch. The intensity never lets up, and I appreciate her court awareness and focus. It would be an insult to call the rest of the team a supporting cast. They are not. Contributions came from everyone, regardless of how many points each player scored. Although Holmes scored a team-high 28 with 9 boards, Sydney Parrish contributed 11 points with 10 rebounds, with Sara Scalia also grabbing 11 points including three shots from deep. However, Northwestern was there to play.
They just couldn’t find the bottom of the net. Too many missed layups and short jumpers. They did turn the ball over less than Indiana, who had 14 to Northwestern’s 9. It really was just a question of shooting. Even down to the wire, Northwestern played hard and did not just roll over for what was an inevitable loss. So, props to the Wildcats for consistent and hard playing. Melannie Daley had a great game for Northwestern, giving herself a birthday present of 24 points.
Hailey Weaver was the only other player in doubles with 11. The Northwestern starters need to really step up. Their final game is against Rutgers, so between now and Sunday hopefully they can find some juice. Indiana’s final game is at home with Maryland coming in. Although Maryland has had a tough year, you can be sure that Coach Moren and the squad will be ready, taking nothing for granted.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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