The primary spherical of the NCAA Ladies’s Match tipped off on Friday. Listed here are 5 takeaways from an exhilarating day.
1. Defending nationwide champion LSU struggled in its first recreation
In a 70-60 victory, the third-seeded Tigers (29-5) dedicated a season-high 24 turnovers in opposition to the 14th-seeded Rice Owls (19-15). Additionally they had 11 assists, tied for his or her third-fewest this season.
LSU head coach Kim Mulkey admitted her crew appeared sloppy.
“That was a foul efficiency right now. It was plenty of egocentric play right now, and it begins with me on getting them prepared,” Mulkey stated, by way of ESPN.com. “The objective is to outlive and advance. And we did try this with an unpleasant efficiency.”
Whereas Rice gained 4 straight video games earlier than this matchup, LSU should discover its groove shortly. The Tigers are within the stacked Albany Regional 2, which incorporates 2022-23 runner-up Iowa. A colleague just lately informed The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach, “She’s by no means seen a area this tough.”
2. Louisville laid an egg
The sixth-seeded Cardinals (24-10) had made 5 straight Elite Eight appearances coming into the event, which made their collapse in opposition to Eleventh-seeded Center Tennessee State (30-4) much more stunning.
Within the 71-69 defeat, Blue Raiders guard Savannah Wheeler — Convention USA Participant of the Yr — scored 20 of her 22 factors within the second half. The late surge helped MTSU erase an 18-point deficit, finishing the third-largest comeback in NCAA Match historical past.
Anticipate Cardinals HC Jeff Walz to make some important modifications following the upset.
“I’ve bought to get again to doing issues the best way I did up to now,” he stated, per Alexis Cubit of the Louisville Courier-Journal.
3. Virginia Tech proved it could win with out Elizabeth Kitley
On Thursday, Virginia Tech HC Kenny Brooks confirmed Kitley — the ACC Participant of the Yr — suffered a torn ACL in early March and would miss the NCAA Match. The senior middle led the crew in scoring (22.8 PPG) this season.
Nonetheless, a dominant efficiency in opposition to Thirteenth-seeded Marshall indicators that the fourth-seeded Hokies could make a run with out their finest participant. Within the 92-49 victory, they set a college document for factors scored in an NCAA Match recreation, together with 28 from their bench.
On Sunday, the Hokies have a tough matchup in opposition to fifth-seeded Baylor. However they made the Closing 4 final season and nonetheless have sufficient firepower to make it once more.
4. Iowa State’s Audi Crooks is a rising star
The freshman middle scored a career-high 40 factors in 34 minutes. This helped the seventh-seeded Cyclones (21-11) erase a 20-point lead and full the second-largest comeback in NCAA Match historical past in a 93-86 victory in opposition to Maryland (19-14).
Crooks is changing into probably the most dominant forces in school basketball. Over the previous 5 video games, she’s averaged 27 factors per recreation.
Iowa State will face Stanford or Norfolk State on Sunday. Regardless, the Cyclones ought to preserve driving Crooks’ sizzling hand to make a deep run.
5. Madison Booker can drive Texas to the Closing 4
The freshman ahead has turn out to be the Longhorns’ driving pressure since junior guard Rori Harmon suffered a season-ending ACL tear in December.
In an 82-42 victory in opposition to No. 16 seed Drexel (19-15), Booker tallied 14 assists, a program document in an NCAA Match recreation. Her exact passing helped Texas shoot 50 p.c from the sphere.
Booker is one cause the Longhorns (31-4) may make their first Closing 4 journey since 2003 and assist HC Vic Schaefer win his first nationwide championship.
6. South Carolina nonetheless seems to be like the very best crew
It is not a foregone conclusion, however it’s straightforward to see why FanDuel offers South Carolina the very best nationwide championship odds (-145).
The Gamecocks (33-0) boat raced No. 16 Presbyterian (21-15) 91-39 with out main scorer middle Kamilla Cardoso (14 PPG), who was serving a one-game suspension as a consequence of an ejection within the SEC Championship recreation in opposition to LSU.
Do not be stunned if South Carolina cruises to the Closing 4 in Cleveland. On Sunday, the Gamecocks face North Carolina, who they beat 65-58 in Chapel Hill on Nov. 30.
