Guru’s WBB March Madness - I: Stanford 2nd Half Eruption Rallies Cardinal Over Louisville To Become Last Ticket Puncher Into Women’s Final Four

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

SAN ANTONIO - For the past five months, Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer had been a fearless captain guiding her Cardinal through most of them on a nomadic journey to both comply with stringent COVID—19 protocols and ultimately land PAC-12 regular-season and tournament crowns, a No. 2 ranking in the final Associated Press women’s poll, and the overall No. 1 seed in what was to be an NCAA tournament like none of the previous 38.

On Tuesday afternoon, several hours before launching the final 40-minute adventure against No. 2 seeded Louisville, the regular season Atlantic Coast Conference champ, to bid for the remaining slot in this weekend’s Women’s Four here at the Alamodome, FIBA, the international basketball organization, announced the former Olympic coach of the 1996 USA Gold Medalists was to become part of its Hall of Fame Class of 2020.

Among the mix of schools and special sector names attached to this locale that is so rich in Texas history and culture, Stanford was tabbed by the basketball committee as the top seed in the Alamo Region.

Bullseye. 

Because what happened next following Dawn Staley and her top-seeeded South Carolina squad crushing No. 6 Texas for a slot out of the Hemisfair Region is surely to become memorable throughout future generations of NCAA women’s tournament participants.

Louisville jumped in front and continued with a dominating first half that carried over to a 12-point lead in the third period, threatening to obliterate all Stanford accomplished from last fall until Tuesday’s sunset.

By then, however, VanDerveer, whose team had won all season with inside force and a squadron of three-point shooters, went to a move with a reserve who had not seen action in Tuesday night’s first two quarters.

Boom.

Ashten Prechtel came off the bench firing treys and gaining all 16 of her points, igniting her teammates on a 13-0 run and ultimately a break-a-way finish resulting in a 78-63 result for a 14th Final Four appearance and first since 2017.

“To play a second half and beat them by 27 really says a lot about how hard people were playing,” VanDerveer said, sitting calmly in front of the TV camera for the zoom-software used interview undisturbed by a fire alarm that briefly threatened to disrupt the post-victory scene. “How much they wanted to do it for each other. They were willing to listen to me. My dad would always say it’s not the start of the race, but the finish.

“Honestly, I didn’t recognize the people in the jerseys in the first half and I just thought we were taking a lot of bad shots. We weren’t taking care of the ball,” VanDerveer said.

“I just said, you know, don’t worry about winning, compete, and be aggressive. We were not aggressive enough.”

The victory slates Stanford (29-2) against South Carolina (26-4) at 6 p.m. EDT on Friday night on ESPN before top-ranked and River Walk Region No. 1 seed Connecticut (28-1) meets third-seed Arizona ((20-5), a second PAC-12 representative, out of the Mercado Region at 9:30 p.m.

Both games lead to Sunday night’s 6 p.m. championship cementing a two-year gap in the wake of the last year’s coronavirus-caused cancellation of the men’s and women’s tournament.

Ironically, it was South Carolina on the way to its only NCAA title to date in 2017 that ousted Stanford in the nationa semifinal.

In the Tuesday nightcap game here, Lexi Hull had 21 points for Stanford, Kiana Williams, the most outstanding player of the regional, had 14 points, Haley Jones had a double double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, Cameron Brink had nine points, and Prechtel had her 16, including a perfect 3-3 from deep extended to a perfect 6-for-6 overall from the field in the responding attack.

“Ashten was a two-way player, her 3 was the shot that just said, `alright, we’re back,’” VanDerveer said. “We can win this game. Really exciting to see her play well.

“She’s been doing great things for us all year. She really picked a great time to shine.”

For herself, Prechtel said, “For sure, it was tough not to play in the first half. I was nervous. We didn’t want to go home. Coming out of halftime, there was urgency.”

Among the Stanford fans among the 17 percent limited attendance under the protocol in the arena was NFL Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, whose sister Anna played 30 minutes but was held to three points in a starting role, while dishing four assists and grabbing four rebound.

Louisville’s Dana Evans was the sole Cardinals star with a strong production, scoring 24 points,.

“What a great substitution,” Louisville coach Jeff Walz tipped his proverbial hat to VanDerveer for inserting Prechtel. “She changed the entire game. Her 15 minutes, she’s a plus 27 on the plus-and-minus side. She won the game for them. She was remarkable in there in the second half.”

Williams struggled early in the game before looking like the playmaker she is.

“I had to change my mentality,” she said. “I was forcing things. I wanted it too bad. I didn’t let the game come to me. Tara got on me, my coaches got on me, and my teammates picked me up. I just had to change my mentality coming back in the second half.”

Stanford has won two NCAA crowns, the last in 1992 two seasons after the first.

Meanwhile, Evans, an all-American, announced she would be declaring for the WNBA draft.

“My senior year was everything I asked for except a national championship,” she said.

The Alamo All-Region team consisted of Williams, Prechtel, Evans, Hull, and Oregon’s Sedona Prince, who lit the off court controversy of the entire 64-team event behind held here, showing photos on social medial comparing the men’s and women’s weight areas among other things.

The All-Hemisfair Region team from the earlier game had four South Carolina stars — Most Valuable Player Zia Cooke, Laeticia Amihere, Aliyah Boston, Victoria Saxton — and Texas’ Celeste Taylor.

As uplifting as the outcome was for Stanford, it was total devastation for Louisville (26-4).

Besides the contribution of Prechtel, Walz contrasted other elements of the two halves.

“I thought we were really, really good defensively in that first half,” Walz said. “Got them to play exactly how we wanted them to play, really made it difficult for them. We contested. We actually did a decent job of rebounding the basketball.

“Then there’s no question, we missed some shots. We had some good looks there and missed a couple, and then they were just relentless on the offensive glass,” Walz said. 

“I don’t think they have had an offensive rebound or a point in the first quarter. They had zero second-chance points in the first quarter and ended up with 23. And we had talked to our team that that was one of two areas, second chance points and then fast break points, where we really had to dig down and stop them.

“They were just relentless with their size and and their effort continuing to go after it.

“Unfortunately, it sucks. There’s no other way to put it. There’s a few other ways to put it, but I don’t think you want to hear me say those things, so I’ll just stick with sucks.”

And that’s the report. 

Guru’s WBB March Madness - I: Dominating Defense Puts South Carolina Back Into Another Final Four

By Mike Siroky

 

In the state in which she won her first National Championship. Dawn Staley ‘s No. 1 seed held up and made Texas look undermanned, 62-34.

 

Texas is coached by a defensive legend in Vic Schaefer. He was the opposition for Mississippi State in that first title game. He is 3-13 against Staley. Texas scored an NCAA record zero in the fourth, or was it Staley imposed an NCAA record shutout?

 

Texas’s fun run as the last Texas team in the tournament, 21-10.

 

SC won from first to last with great effort. Balance won out, though the SC guards controlled it, 62-34.

 

Texas left Victaria Saxton alone underneath for the opening score. Saxton again, driving for a layup. She scored again, 3-for-3. 

 

Destiny Henderson hit Saxton again and she had eight against a nine average with a minute and a half.  

 

But she did not score again in the half. Another score and it was 20-2 and Texas needed a time out. Focusing defense on Aliyah Boston, a 6-5 All-American, was  not working.

 

Zia Cooke took off on a speed drive, was fouled. Boston missed the layup, but she recovered on the next possession and it was 12-2. Texas had started as wobbly in their previous game.

 

SC was not about to let down. Texas was scoreless for more than four minutes. 

 

Cooke scored. Texas caught a break when they blocked a shot out of bounds and were awarded possession. SC stepped out of bounds, 14-4. Texas was 2-of-10. Cooke fumbled a breakaway all alone.

 

Texas missed two shots on the next possession. Boston earned two free throws on a foul by 6-11 sophomore Celeste Taylor. C’s first foul came on a Leticia Amihere. 

 

Texas muffed the possession. Texas star Charli Collier was 1-for-3, her worst stat of the season.  Amihere took a second foul and went to the bench.

 

It was 18-7 at the quarter. Saxton had eight, with three rebounds, Brea Beal also had three rebounds. SC held Texas to 18 percent from the floor, hitting 57 percent their ownselves.

 

Schaefer breaks down every game to eight five-minute quarters. He was 0-2 convincingly so far. 

 

Dawn Staley always says the game goes through her bigs. 

 

It was working with 16 points underneath, Cooke hit again. 

 

Texas outhustled SC for a rebound but they turned it over. Cooke scored again. The lead was back to 13.

 

 Littleton joined Amihere with two fouls. Saxton finally missed a shot.

 

Joanne Taylor drew a charge from Cooke. Texas scored. SC looked a little unsteady and threw it out of bounds. Collier was 1-for-5. Kyra Lambert cut the lead to seven. Boston hit two free throws, 4-for-4 from the line.

 

Taylor hit two free throws. Her six points led Texas. Cooke hit a step-back jumper. She had eight, 26-17 SC. The Gamecocks battled for a redound, another five-minute segment gone.

 

Schaefer was already conjuring up halftime adjustments. You cannot erase skill. Staley’s concern was the players with two fouls. SC had yet to attempt a 3, keeping with the game plan inside. It is not that they cannot hit 3s, as they been 22-of-32 in recent games.

 

Collier rimmed one in. 28-19. Cooke. SC with 10 with another jumper. 

 

Then she hit a 3 just because, Saxton scored in a 7-0 run, her first points since the opening minute and a half. SC was hitting 60 percent from the field. Texas was half that.

 

Texas had six turnovers in a possession game. Collier elbowed through Saxton and got a second foul.

Staley was unhappy with a forced turnover. Saxton made up for it with her 12^th point on a breakout. 

 

Texas had the final possession. Audrey hit a 3, 37-22 SC. 

 

Cooke had 13 against a 16 average, Saxton was three past her average with 12 on 6-of-7 shooting. Brea Beal, a 6-1 guard, had five defensive rebounds doing the body work underneath.

 

Unless Collier solved the defense, Texas was doomed.

 

SC easily maintained to start the third. Texas was unable to change its ways. 

 

Staley’s plan and skill players were simply better. Cooke hit a nifty twisting over her head layup for her 11th points. 

 

Saxton had 12 with eight rebounds, Boston 10 and seven with two blocks. The Gamecocks led rebounds by 10, having never been outrebounded once this season.

 

Collier had not solved anything and was still at four points. Texas had not yet reached the 37 SC had to start the quarter. Schaefer just wanted to end with some pride. 

 

Did not happen. It grew to 61-34 with three minutes left. 

 

Collier had not scored in the second half, reminding all Schaefer may have the defensive reputation but not against a better program. SC won the fourth, 10-0, hitting 23 percent from the floor. He had approximately 3,000 fans but no homecourt advantage.

 

Cooke led everyone with 16, one of five in double figures. They only needed three 3s.

 

 “It’s been very difficult,” Cooke said, holding the Final Four trophy and the Most Outstanding  Regional designation after the post-game celebration. “We lost four games this season and were able to come back. 

 

“It was very surreal to me. I was just standing there thinking ‘Wow, we’re really going to the Final Four.’  I think defense is what wins games. You need the offensive part too.

 

“It’s even scarier because we’re almost there (Their best game). We are this close. I was very excited at that shot at the end of the third quarter.

 

“We play the way coach is. We have gotta play as a team.”

 

She said they had waited 383 days from the stoppage of last season when the game was suddenly stopped. “Coach said we deserved this,” she said.

 

Staley said Young people are incredibly resilient.

 

“They don’t come fully wrapped. College is to teach them what to do to be successful.

 

“Zia, I love some of the social media points and some of the shots she was taking. You have to teach her how to be more resilient. 

 

“Everyone of our players have gone through something. We had a coach lose her mother while we’re in this bubble. Another lost her uncle. Another has a cancer fight in her family.

“I am glad I am a part of her village.

 

“We just handle it and move on. I do think we are mentally tough. When they do what they did today, that is huge strides.

 

“Once we got the players in here, we had basketball. Do it for the love of the game.

 

“Aliyah (Boston) came in with her eyes wide open. You gotta guard her. She is a presence, she allows the others to be open. She will work to get better in every statistic.

 

“I didn’t realize they hadn’t scored in the fourth quarter until I looked at the paper after the game. It didn’t feel like that.

 

“We appreciate the legacy we were left. We’re going to enjoy this for 24 hours.”

 

Staley has the most wins in conference this season. She is 25-4. 

 

Her advancement breaks another barrier, with two Black women coaches in the national semifinals for the first time ever. 

 

She said she loves to represent for black girls everywhere. As Stanford is  the top No. 1 seed, SC will wear on the road uniforms for the first time. 

 

Guru’s March Madness - III: Luck Be a Paige As UConn Ends Baylor’s NCAA Rule With 13th Straight Trip to the Final Four

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The onset of the coronavirus a year ago and cancellation of the NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments allowed Baylor a free bonus perk of 12 extra months to allow the Lady Bears to be called “defending national champs.”

That same COVID-19 making the conclusion of the 2020 season a wash, allowed UConn to escape the threat of snapping the string of consecutive trips to the Final Four, enabling the Huskies to confront the danger by turning the page better armed.

At some point, though, push was going to come to shove in a jarring, physical showdown, a matchup so tantalizing the selection committee couldn’t wait for the Final Four this weekend here at the Alamodome to cap the nearly month-long marathon of hosting the entire 64-team affair in this area of Texas.

So, with the power invested unto them to toss some powers around, the committee came up with a way to move up the process to Monday night in the River Walk Region by placing the top-seeded Huskies and Lady Bears on the same path, hitting Baylor with an under seed of two and the deed got done, though it nearly got derailed in the round of Sweet 16 on Saturday when Michigan took Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey’s shock troops into overtime.

But if Baylor had dodged the Cinderella Wolverines who previously dispatched once mighty Tennessee, the Bears at the finish ran into a hail of shattering glass combined from the “Paige-turning” experience UConn displayed all season,  a gut-wrenching injury to one of Baylor’s own,  and a seemingly blown foul call at the finish that potentially deprived Mulkey’s shot at maintaining the defending champs claim into the national semifinals.

When it all cleared, UConn, ranked No. 1 in the final poll, was standing with a 69-67 victory, celebrated frosh Paige Bueckers had written another incredible court chapter with a 28-point performance and River Run Region Most Valuable Player honors, and the Huskies (28-1) are headed to their 13th straight Final Four appearance Friday night where their national semifinals opponent will be third-seeded Arizona making its Women’s Final Four debut.

The Wildcats (20-5) out of the Mercado Region upset second-seeded Texas A&M in the Sweet 16 and then ruined fourth-seeded Indiana’s bid to be the Final Four rookie, filling the air with threes and riding Aari McDonald’s 33 points to a 66-53 victory Monday night following the UConn-Baylor tussle.

On Tuesday night, the slots on the other side will be filled with Mercado Region top-seed South Carolina meeting upstart and sixth-seeded Texas at 7 p.m. on ESPN, followed at nine on the same network with top-seed Stanford in the Alamo region meeting second seeded Louisville.

Though the 39th NCAA women’s tournament has become the greatest of them all in terms of numbers of quality teams deeper beyond past Final Four level showdowns, until Monday night, it had become the greatest few have seen.

But the geographical proximity of Baylor (28-3) from the north halfway between here and Dallas in Waco allowed the Alamodome to be penetrated closer to its government-limited 17 percent capacity, enabling local fans and the Baylor crowd to watch the another fight for the ages between the two powers who were set to meet in early January until Mulkey tested positive and the game was cancelled.

Ironically, despite tests all winter and recent vaccinations, Auriemma came up positive before the trip to Texas, quarantined through the first two rounds while Associated Head Coach Chris Dailey guided the Huskies to a pair of wins, and then arrived in time last weekend to lead UConn over Iowa in the matchup of the two national newcomer sensations in Bueckers and Iowa’s Caitlyn Clark.

So the stage was set for the grueling 40 minutes that was Monday’s confrontation.

“This was harder than winning some of the national championship games that we’ve won,” Auriemma said. “Without question. Without question. This game was tougher than a handful of National Championship games or any Final Four games that you want to mention.

“So winning this game, given how it played out, you know, getting down 10, that’s an amazing accomplishment by these young kids.”

Asked to compare the Monday win to the other 12 straight Elite Eight triumphs, Auriemma responded, “It’s a lot to digest, but right now you can only think about this particular one. You don’t necessarily are thinking the other 12. We have 10 kids on our team that have not been to one Final Four. And so that to me is what the excitement is all about. Those 10 kids have never been to one and they’re getting an opportunity to go to their very first.

“What I try to tell everyone, when they say which one, how does this one feel compared to all the rest,” continued Auriemma, who turned 67 earlier this month. “They all feel amazing. There’s never been one that felt bad. It’s like Christmas. People say, how was your Christmas? I never had a bad one. They’re all amazing.”

But for a long time, this one looked like it was going to be parked along side the two eliminating buzzer-beaters in the national semifinals of 2017, ending the record 119-game win streak, and 2018, losing to eventual champion Notre Dame.

UConn drew first blood with an early 12-point lead before the Bears asserted themselves with a 10-0 run and by the third had commanding position with a 10-point lead in the third with 2:09 left in the period.

However, soon therefore, point guard Didi Richards went down with a hamstring injury on Baylor.

Bueckers, like she had done many times during the season, began leading the way and just like that the Huskies took off on a 19-0 run for a nine-point lead.

The Bears were leaderless, though Dijonai Carrington, who was doing her best to keep the ship together, finished with 22 points.

Now, as the clock wound down, so, too, was UConn’s ability to seal the outcome, the Huskies advantage being narrowed possession by possession.

“I was proud of our team,” Mulkey said. “They kept fighting. And all you can do is ask for the opportunity to win it at the end. And I thought — what else can I do? All I can do is put it in the hands of two kids (the other NaLyssa Smith with 14 points and 13 rebounds) we think can get fouled or score the ball. And, guys, you all can write the rest of the story.”

As it turned, the rest of the story became its own spinoff.

UConn missed clinching foul shots.

It was a one-point lead, 17.2 seconds remained with Baylor in possession and about to come out of a time out.

Carrington, a grad transfer, got the ball at the top of the key with six seconds left.

She drove down, put the shot up over the outstretched arms of Olivia Nelson-Ododa and freshman Aaliyah Edwards, who was helping to defend on the play.

The shot fell short as bodies collided, but nothing was called, and the Huskies got possession, Christyn Williams grabbing a rebound as initial reaction ranged from to the rough-and-rumble let it go management of the game or where’s the foul.

Connecticut then went to the line and got the game’s final point and the Huskies were on their way to extending the Final Four appearance streak to 13 while Baylor’s championship rule for 2019-20 2020-March 29, 2021 was over, the Bears left to grumble.

They were soon joined by a large amount of social media reaction from the celebrity level of NBA great LeBron James to the casual basketball fan.

And of course, there was a difference of opinion from the coaches at both press conferences.

Asked what Mulkey saw, the coach turned the question back on the writer on the zoom call, which is how all interviews are being conducted with the protocols continuing.

The writer expressed surprise at the no call and Mulkey said, “Then write it like that. You don’t need a quote from me. I’ve got still shots and video from two angles. One kid hits her in the face, one kid hits her on the elbow. And she was one of the options. One option was for NaLyssa, and the second was for her.”

Auriemma, on the other hand: “A call’s a call and you got to live with it. And the officials are going to make the call they think they need to make.”

On LeBron, he laughed, saying, “I probably doubt that in his career he’s ever won a game (on a bad call) and decided to give it back because he looked at it and went, `That was a foul.’”

On ESPN’s SportsCenter, former coach Carolyn Peck, who has been part of the halftime studio crew, showed the play but then showed a bunch of no-calls that could have been fouls helping the Huskies. She also noted, Baylor contributed to its own situation with 12 turnovers and eight missed foul shots while the Huskies missed seven.

After what became the game’s final point, the Huskies foul shot, Baylor on the rebound threw the ball long down court and Bueckers, appropriately, was there to intercept the pass and the celebration/agonizing began.

On the comeback, she said, “Once we got that ball movement better and we started pushing in transition, getting easier buckets against their tough defense in half court. I think that we opened the game for us. I was just trying to so and our whole team was just trying to perform enough in order to win.

“I think it spoke for our mentality the whole season of us just facing adversity and taking it with our chin and just fighting back,” Bueckers said. “They hit us, they went on their runs. Basketball is a game of runs. We just tried to stay confident. 

“And we didn’t want to go home and we wanted to keep competing and make it to the Final Four. And I think we just really stuck together. We still have a killer mentality.

“As a little kid (in Minneapolis), I would be outside at the park shooting hoops, envisioning these moments but you never really know if you’re going to get those chances and opportunities.”

Of his star, Auriemma said, “What Paige can do is sense the moment. Like all great players, she can sense the moment, when it’s time, what’s needed in that time, what’s necessary.”

Moon Ursin added 13 points to Baylor’s total, while Williams added 21 for UConn and Evina Westbrook scored 11.

Bueckers, Carrington, Smith, Williams, and Iowa freshman Caitlyn Clark were on the River Walk All Region Team, where Paige earned Most Outstanding Player.

Off the other game, Arizona’s McDonald, also the MVP, was joined on the Mercado All Region team by Indiana’s Grace Berger, North Carolina State’s Jada Boyd, Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes, and Texas A&M’s Jordan Nixon.

And that’s the report for the moment. 

   

           

Guru’s March Madness - II: Arizona Sleepwalks to its First Final Four

By Mike Siroky

 

Indiana never showed much spirit in its loss to Arizona, trailed all of the game and became the latest team to not solve 5-6 senior guard Aari McDonald.

 

She hit 5-of-6 3s as part of 33 points in the 66-53 win to earn an initial trip to the Final Four at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

 

Arizona was not exactly burning it up, either, but they had enough.

 

History was assured as neither had made a Final Four before.

 

No. 4 seed Indiana upended top seed North Carolina State to get here. 

 

They finished the season No. 12 in the Associated Press poll to Arizona’s 11. They lost to two SEC teams and did not make their conference tournament finals.

 

No 3 seed Arizona is in their first NCAA tournament in 16 seasons. They finally got to wear the home uniforms as the lower seed.

 

The Hoosiers’ Ali Patberg said, “This is what I dreamed of,” she said. “Playing for a  national championship for Indiana. I am from right down the road (Columbus, Indiana) so this is special to me.” 

 

She is a former Miss Basketball in Indiana, which is a very big deal,

The 5-11 senior started her career at Notre Dame before fleeing that school’s previous coach as did others as the program began to decline.

 

This year, she averaged 13.9 points per game with 26 3s.  

 

Among the other seniors are 5-9 Jaelyn Penn (11.6) , 5-6 Nicole-Cardano Hillary from  Madrid, Spain by way of Georg Mason.

 

 Other starters are 6-3 junior forward Alexsa Gulbe from Latvia (9.1 with 14,3 rebounds), 5-0 junior guard Grace Berger (16.1 with 4.7 assists per game) and 6-3 sophomore forward Mackenzie Holmes (17.7, with 4.7 rebounds and 62 blocks).

 

 Cardano-Hillary was Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team, Rookie of the year  and Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team.

 

Coach Terri Moran is an Indiana native, a Purdue grad. She has coached in-state at Butler, the University of Indianapolis and Indiana State.

 

Arizona countered with in-state Texas star, 6-2 junior Cate Reese (24.4 points per game, 10.9 rebounds) and superlative senior guard McDonald (19.8, with 43 3s and 106 assists). 

 

A reserve guard, Bendu Yeaney , is a transfer from Indiana. She started 69 games for Indiana . She started 18 this season for Arizona, averaging 22 with very few 3s.

 

They rained a destructive bomb of 13 3s to eliminate No. 2 seed Texas A&M, McDonald with a season-best 30 points and eight 3s. 

 

She has been in double figures for 90 straight games, yet is most proud of  being the Pac 12 Defensive Player of the Year. 

 

Their coach, Adia Barnes, is contracted through 2026. 

 

It was a very deliberate start, Arizona winning the first five minutes 7-4. McDonald had five with a 3.

 

     One of them had to establish a pattern. IU was just hitting 25 percent from the field.

 

    Arizona finally missed after a 4-for-4 run, IU closed it to 9-7. McDonald hit another 3. Patberg used a third possession on one court down the floor and scored, but missed the free throw.

 

  A shot by Arizona hung on the rim. 

 

Still, with no turnovers they kept it close. Gulbe hit a free throw. Arizona turned it over. Patberg stepped out of bounds. Arizona took a three-point lead at the first stop.

 

 IU had to do what no one else had done, stop McDonald. She had 10 of her team’s 14.

 

The Hoosiers’ Patberg was 2-of-4 from the field, 2-of-3 from the line.

 

Would IU explore the long ball? Would either team try runouts?  Each side had 15 floor attempts. 

 

Indiana hit four and Arizona six. 

 

Still a throwback style of game, rebounds were even, turnovers and steals at a minimum. 

 

The jitters of never having been here before needed to be discarded. Whoever did that first would win.

 

 Patberg made a nice no-look pass underneath. Holmes cut the lead. They replicated it on the next possession and IU led.

 

    Arizona tied it at 17. IU threw it away on the wing. Arizona missed but got the rebound and scored with the second chance. Cardano-Hillary slammed through a defender.

 

  These unforced errors were telling.

 

   Berger tied it up inside. 

 

McDonald’s only score in this half of the  quarter was another bomb, 3-for-3.

 

   As happened in the previous weekend win, it appears no one can defend the 3.

Arizona ran out to  four-point edge, but IU cut it back again. 

 

Again, no great passionate runs were yet manifested. It was actually somewhat boring. This game is setting women’s basketball back a few years.

 

  Holmes had back-to-back layups sandwiched around a McDonald drive. Indiana played for and missed the last shot. Arizona led by four, increasing the lead by one in the quarter.

 

 Holmes had 10, Patberg eight, Indiana 0-for-5 on 3s. McDonald had 17 of Arizona’s 27. They led rebounds by five.

 

  It might be time to unleash the Tigers but apparently there were none. The loser would get a participation pat on the back, the winner would be fed as a favor to UConn.

 

   ESPN spent halftime showing UConn highlights and Geno Auriemma showing more energy than anyone in this game.

 

  They traded baskets in the third. IU still hadn’t bought a 3. McDonald had scored another but that was all for her. Holmes was 7-of-10 and had 16.

 

  Oops. Indiana won a quarter and trailed by two with 10 minutes left in someone’s season.

 

Gulbe tied it at 46. 

 

Arizona’s Trinity Baptiste joined the 3 party – their eighth -- and IU missed two shots before Berger pulled them back to one down. Patberg missed a 3, IU 0-for-7.

 

Arizona showed signs it would win by pulling ahead by seven on – what else – a McDonald 3, the largest lead of the game,  with five minutes left.

 

In years to come, IU will analyze why they had no 3s and couldn’t stop one player.

 

For now, the lack of urgency was killing them. 

 

The last official time out left five minutes to go. 

 

Arizona missed a shot and Patberg took a rebound, fouled by Reece.

 

Another 3, this one by Helena Pueyo who also noticed the lack of perimeter defense.

 

Arizona was drizzling IU’s season away the same they had Texas A&M, hitting 3s and allowing none.

 

There was no last Cream and Crimson run because why should there be one. IU had to make back-to-back-to-back fouls just to force Arizona to the free throw line at the end.

 

IU looked clueless in its sixth defeat. Arizona was overjoyed in its 20^th win at last, 66-53. They scored six of the final nine. IU folded even more at the end.

 

Holmes scored 20 for IU, Berger 15 and Patberg 12.  McDonald scored 33, 5-of-6 3s, with 10 rebounds.

 

IU could hold the participation medals on the long bus ride northeast. Whether Patberg and the other seniors come back is the next discussion. None of then are good enough for the WNBA so they might as well.

 

“It just took team effort,”  coach Barnes said. She played the “nobody believed in us” card which she could keep on playback for the Final Four, considering UConn will be their opponent Friday night. 

 

Certainly, friends and families believe in them and other students on campus believe in them.

 

Oh well. Even a team in its first Final Four has the book of cliches at hand.

 

“Can’t do this can’t do that because I’m too small,” said McDonald. “I’m a dog. There wouldn’t be no Aari McDonald without my coach or teammates.”

 

It took the Arizona group so long to get to the post-game interview that they eliminated the time for Indiana, past midnight EST. 

 

Talk about never having been there before. The NCAA did not apologize. Neither did Arizona. 

 

This may be why there is a lack of belief. For a tournament still thirsty for publicity, this was bad. It would never happen in the men’s game.

 

“Aari had 11 rebounds,” the coach said, appearing more than a half hour after the game ended. 

 

She had taken time to cut down and wearing the net around her neck, No other coach did that all tournament.

 

“She is at another level. It became a reality we could do this a couple of years ago. Last year we had a chance so it is unfortunate we did not have that experience.”

 

“When there was a minute 20 something, we feelt it,” McDonald said. “I was on Facebook yesterday and that’s when I said I was coming back. It’s crazy.

 

“It’s not too often we win the rebound war, but we did today. When you know, you know, you feel it.”

Guru’s March Madness - I: An Elite Meeting in an Elite Tournament

By Mike Siroky

 

Dawn Staley knew all along her deep and talented team, led by an All-American, the likely best player in conference, was good enough to  be here.

 

And who should stand in her way but a recent coaching rival, Vic Schaefer in his first season with unranked Texas. 

His defection to the Big 12 is one reason the SEC coaching status took a hit this season. Staley is 12-3 against Schaefer.

 

The Gamecocks finished No. 6 nationally.

 

Look at the balance in women’s college basketball. 

The others still alive after Monday’s start of the Elite Eight represent  one from the Big 12. 

But singles join the SEC representative from the ACC, Big Ten, Big East, and ACC. Three No. 1s are here. One No. 2, one No. 3 and Texas is a No. 6. 

 

An Elite Eight win would tie Staley for most wins in conference this season. She is 25-4, Texas 21-9.

Schaefer, just starting his Texas legend, is obviously the coach of the tournament. His defense  held Maryland 40  below their  average, celebrating keeping a home state team in it with Baylor until the Lady Bears were dispatched by UConn in Monday’s thriller after Texas A&M flopped and went home.

 

Whether the lone senior, injured LeLe Grissett comes back under the NCAA waiver, is irrelevant as all the other Gamecocks do come back, aided by the best recruiting class in America.SC is already the favored team for 2022.

 

They are a top seed and the No. 6 team, in the nation, a day as No. 1. They survived one loss in conference costing them the regular-season title but came right back to win the conference tournament and start the current win streak.

 

Other conference coaches voted someone else the top coach and top player, but they were obviously wrong, as usual.

 

That’s why the popularity votes lose luster year after year. 

 

Staley is also the National Coach in case the Olympics come off.

 

She has Aliyah Boston, a 6-5 All-American again, so fundamentally solid it is easy to forget she is but a sophomore, the real best player in the league. Her teammates say just her court presence is reassuring. 

 

When needed, and she isn’t every game, she can lead in scoring (13.7 per game)  from either underneath or stepping out as far as a 3 shooter. She can certainly rebound (11.7, 74 blocks). 

 

A sophomore classmate is the court director, asked by Staley to take on the leadership, 5-9 go-to guard Zia Cooke (15.9 points per game). 

Other sophomores are  6-1 guard Brea Beal (7.5) and forward Victaria Saxton (8.7 with 33 steals ). Saxton and Beal have missed one start. It was sophomore Leticia Amihere who stepped up big time the Elite Eight win. The juniors are represented by 5-7 guard Destanni Henderson (12.1 with 139 assists) and 6-2 only one start. Cooke’s five 3s in the Sweet 16 game is her career high and the program’s tournament record high. 

 

Amihere’s 11.3 points per game in the tournament is double her season average. She is hitting 56 percent.

 

The Gamecocks have upped their paint shooting percentage to 55.5, against a 42.l3 all season long.

 

“We had our battles in the SEC,” said Staley of Schaefer. “I knew he’d be ready to play, that he’d have  a game plan. I always look forward to playing Vic because of what he puts into it.

 

 “It’s probably a great thing to have some familiarity with Texas and Vic because of our rivalry in the SEC, especially because you have one day to prepare.

 

“I don’t know if (SC has played) our best game. We are shooting the ball very well. .Defensively, we had to make adjustments. Zia Cooke shot the ball extremely well. We were pretty efficient offensively.

 

“We’re going to see how many Gamecocks are in Texas to come out and cheer. 

After South Carolina ands Texas tangle, the last spot in this weekend’s Finals of the Final Eliminations will be decided between No. 1 Stanford coached by the new all-time wins leader in Tara VanDerveer and No. 2 Louisville headed by Jeff Walz. That winner is who SC will face Friday night in the national semis if they get by Schaefer and the ‘Horns.

 

"Zia has so many other skill sets other than scoring, to do what we need to do each time out,” Staley said.

 

“Aliyah looks forward to the challenge. All you can do is what you have already done

 

“They (Texas) are totally different. They play beautiful basketball. It’s head-scratching. What do you take away. What do you allow. We have played against many styles this season. I credit our SEC season to to prepare us.

 

“Two or three of our players don’t get into games. But they embrace our roles and do what they need to do to prepare us to play winning basketball. They do it every single day. They only want to so what they do to help us play winning basketball.

 

“Our starters have roles, too

 

“The Elite Eight game is the toughest game because you are on the precipice.

 

“The message is keep your eyes open. 

 

“Our game is a beautiful game.” 

 

Charli Collier, a 6-5 junior already declared for the WNBA draft, leads Texas at 19.7 points per game, 11.6 rebounds, 11.6 blocks. She is the Boston challenge Staley referenced.

 

Collier is already projected as the first pick of the WNBA. She said, post-Maryland that hard work had got them here. “You don’t see our practices, how hard we work,  and that’s what paid off.”

 

She and her teammates obviously bought into Schaefer’s work ethic. 

It was a little weird to see his usual hugs all around and sideline salute to the hometown fans as that had been a regular imprint in the SEC, hanging around at courtside post-game. He brought the defense and rebounding to a program that had been crumbling. He rivals Geno Auriemma as the best man in the game. 

 

Knowing Schaefer so well can help SC but the Longhorns don’t know Texas.

 

He had willed his SEC teams to compete against them so well, sweeping the series with season and SEC tournament wins just two seasons ago. 

 

Celeste Taylor (12.4), a 6-11 sophomore, 5-8 sophomore Joanne Taylor (12.4), 5-9 junior Audrey Warren (10.2) are the other scorers. Kyra Lambert, a 5-9 senior, has the most assists (86), steals (33)  and 3s (35). 

 

She is from San Antonio, which delighted Schaefer for her chance in front of her homebodies.

 

“You have to be so proud of these kids and what they’re doing,” said Schaefer. “We really believe in our offense and on defense we have some areas we can explore. (For Maryland) I wrote on the board 10 or less turnovers. We had 10. All the experts had them hanging 100 on us.

 

“You go and say things like that and you better know what you’re talking about. This is typically what our teams (as coaches) do; we get better in March. My coaching staff has done wonderfully with each position.

 

“We talk about what we can do. If you’ll fight every position, there’s eight five-minute games.

“We won’t do it one-on-one, but we can win. They have finally bought in what happens when you go to work.

 

“The game will not cheat you. You will get out of it what you put in. Our guards are shooting so well right now, Giving God the glory for  No. 21 (Collier) this day. She carried us early in the season. But now, you cannot concentrate on any one player.

 

“Defense is nothing but teaching habits. Every day. They are all in. Junkyard dogs, y’all. To see their faces. That’s why we are in coaching.

 

“Engage the mechanism and you can shut out the noise. I got a lot of kids never been in the NCAA tournament for. I used the phrase a snowball’s chance in hell. I don’t care what people say.

 

“I have tremendous respect for Dawn and her staff. Our kids haven’t played them and they have to go play. This time of year you are paying the best. Dawn’s got a great team no doubt about it.

“We’ll show up and play. Praise the Lord and hook ’em Horns”

 

Guru’s March Madness - II: The Alamodome Will Remember Texas

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Given a second shot against a massive superior force of opposition firepower Sunday night in the shadow of the Alamo, specifically inside the two-court Alamodome, having tasted a recent taste of upset success against third-seeded UCLA, a small group of Texans set opposite most of the women’s hoops world betting against them, rose up again and this time brought down the pseudo Santa Anna juggernaut that all season had been Big Ten champion Maryland 64-61.

The stunner moves the sixth-seeded Longhorns (21-9), unranked in the final Associated Press women’s poll,  into the Elite Eight and a Tuesday night date with top-seeded South Carolina. 

The matchup creates a reunion of the former Southeastern Conference coaching rivalry of the Gamecocks’ Dawn Staley and Texas’ Vic Schaefer just under a year later from when the sport’s universe read he was giving up the Power 5 force that was Mississippi State to return to his native grounds to revive the Longhorns’ fortunes.

In the process, Schaefer and his crew managed for the moment to alleviate the COVID-19 caused Twilight Zone effect that is this particular setting in the 2021 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament and produce what had been a common term until this season — home court advantage with an energetic group of fans among the estimated crowd of 4,000 meeting the 17 percent arena-limited crowd restrictions as part of the safety protocols.

The magic act even managed to cast a spell over senior center Charli Collier, finally showing beyond big numbers off little guys the predicted number one pick in next month WNBA draft can be big in big games, scoring 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, while supplementing her double double with a steal and a block.

Helping the cause was Celeste Taylor, also double doubling with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while making two shots from deep, and dealing four assists.

Double-digit scoring also came from Joanne Allen-Taylor with 14 points and Kyra Lambert with 10 points while Audrey Warrne just missed the mark by a bucket with eight.

Maryland (26-3), which had lost early in the season when everyone was trying contemplate how to even have one and stay safe from the disease, and then suffered a two-pointer setback just over the midway Big Ten mark at Ohio State, was lassoed and roped into captivity by the trademark Schaefer defensive thrust, though Diamond Miller had 21 points, Australian Chloe Bibby, who played for the Longhorns coach at Mississippi State, had 14, and Ashley Owusu was held down to 10 points.

The Terrapins jumped to a nine-point shutout lead early but Texas fought back and once it did, Maryland was found unfit to wear the Santa Anna tag and create another ancient Alamo-style blowout.

Almost a year ago, upon taking the job, Schaefer said he heard a calling and now he’s starting to pick up the phone and give answers.

“We got down 9-0 to start tonight,” he began his postgame press conference over zoom software to the small group of media members here in the building and vast numbers across America through technology who could watch the drama unfold and participate afterwards. “I’m not sure a month and a half ago we could have dug out of that hole.”

“Texas winning is great for the the Big 12,” said Hall of Fame Baylor coach Kim Mulkey, who’s second-seeded Lady Bears (28-2), after handling the upset threat on Saturday from Michigan in overtime, will lead the two-night, doubleheader parade of ticket punching into this weekend’s Women’s Final Four, playing top-seeded Connecticut (27-1) Monday night at 7 out of the River Walk Region on ESPN.

The two teams were supposed to meet during the season in December in Waco, Texas, but the game was cancelled when Mulkey tested positive for the virus and went into quarantine. 

Ironically, Hall of Famer Geno Auriemma came up with a positive test before Connecticut was to head here and so he missed the first two games, handing the reins to Associate Head Coach Chris Dailey while he observed a ten-day quarantine.

Auriemma returned in time to guide the Huskies Saturday over Iowa in the game featuring the two top freshmen in the nation in the Hawkeyes’ Caitlin Clark and UConn’s Paige Bueckers.

Playing for a first-ever Final Four trip from both sides, fourth-seeded Indiana (21-5), which took down top-seeded North Carolina State in the Mercado Region on Saturday, will meet third-seeded Arizona (19-5), which upset second-seeded Texas A&M, in the Monday nightcap.

On Tuesday, overall No. 1 Stanford (28-2), which ejected fifth-seeded Missouri State on Sunday night, will meet second-seeded Louisville (26-3), a 60-42 Sunday winner over sixth-seeded Oregon, at 9 in the Alamo Region after Texas and No. 1 South Carolina play for the Hemisfair Region title at 7, all games also on ESPN.

Trailing 32-25 at the half, Schaefer said, “We can guard them in the half court. We really believed that. 

“I thought our kids executed, boy, some really good stuff tonight. We had 10 turnovers, which I wrote on the board, ten or less.

“We felt we had some areas we could  (exploit)  and kind of take advantage.  

“All the experts had (Maryland) hanging a 100 on us. That’s fine. It’s no big deal. But, again, you go to saying things like that and you better make sure you know who you’re talking about. You have no idea what’s inside the breastplate of my kids.”

The score got knotted by the Longhorns on a Taylor jumper 59-59 inside a minute left in regulation and they then jolted in front when Kyra Lambert swiped a steal off a loose ball and went unmolested for two more points.

Maryland’s Miller missed a shot that Texas’ Lauren Ebo grabbed and passed to Lambert, who was fouled.

Making 1-of-2 the lead increased to three and the Terrapins’ Katie Benzan, a Harvard transfer and the nation’s leading three-point shooter, missed from deep.

Texas got the ball and Taylor hit one-of-two for the 64-60 final.

“I’ve been in this situation before,” Schaefer said, referencing the UConn upset. “I’ve been in a game where everybody thought they were going to hang 100 on me and it didn’t happen.”

Collier, who has another year of eligibility, previously announced she plans to turn pro and is considered a target of the Dallas Wings, who have the No. 1 pick.

Maryland coach Brenda Frese’ concession speech acknowledged some cracks in the perceived Terrapins invincible armor.

“I think you saw some inexperience with our team,” Frese said of the breakdown. “Credit goes to Texas. I thought they were physical, they were aggressive, they turned it into a game of defense and rebounding. 

“They made one or two more plays in the fourth quarter that made the difference.”

Noting progress in a Big 12 that included early beatings from Baylor, Schaefer said, “This team has gotten a lot better in the last month, we’ve gotten a lot better. Again, if you run into Baylor two, three times, and you don’t learn from that, shame on you.

“This game had to be where it was because we’re not going to win a 90-88 game. We’re probably not winning 80-78. There were a couple of things that were their bread and butter and I thought we took that from them.”

Speaking of the ambience, Schaefer said, “We haven’t played at home in front of anybody all year. We actually went a month or more where they wouldn’t let anybody in the Drum. We wouldn’t let anybody in the Erwin Center because of the stage we were at in Austin.

“So for them to have that opportunity tonight, it’s really special. I mean think about it, y’all. Kyra Lambert is from San Antonio. She’s getting to do this in front of her parents, her family, her friends. We have kids from the state of Texas. They’re getting to do it in front of their family. We have kids from out of the state whose parents are here, mamas and dads are here.”

Comeback Kid in Louisville Win

Oregon was marred by injuries in its season-ending loss to Louisville, who was lifted by the best performance in weeks from Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year, Dana Evans, who scored 29 for the Cardinals in the 60-42 win. 

Nayra Sabally, who had to leave the game with an injury, and Erin Boley each scored 14 for Oregon while Boley also had 11 rebounds.

“They deserved it,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves said. “They played harder than us.”

As for Louisville’s Jeff Walz: “What an unbelievable effort tonight defensively and on the backboard. 

“I thought we came out and just competed. Did a great job.”

Stanford’s Hometown Heroine

After being away from campus for nearly three months due to stringent COVID-19 protocols in Santa Clara County in the Bay Area of Northern California, Stanford (28-2), the overall No. 1 seed, is well-conditioned to the three weeks here spent by keep advancing with the entire 64-team tourney being held in San Antonio as the men have been doing in Indianapolis.

Kiana Williams, however, who led the Cardinal to a lopsided 89-62 victory to oust Missouri State (23-3), also has a built-in home court advantage with family from San Antonio.

Williams had 16 points, leading the Stanford 15-from deep attack with four three-balls. Hannah Jump scored 17, hitting five from beyond the arc, while Haley Jones scored 11, and Anna Wilson scored 13.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer lifted her record-setting Division I women’s career victory record total to 1,122.

Missouri State got 18 points from Elle Ruffridge, while Abigayle Jackson scored 11, and Jasmine Franklin grabbed 13 rebounds.

Baylor-UConn Showdown

One reason this is the deepest NCAA women’s tourney from the Sweet 16 level forward is the Baylor-UConn matchup Monday night between two teams that could easily be playing for the championship under different bracket, though you can throw Louisville, Stanford, South Carolina, Maryland, and upset victims North Carolina State, and Texas A&M into the mix.

A year ago the cancelled tournament took the Huskies’ long Final Four run off the hook since there was a belief UConn was susceptible to an early exit.

But the Bears could ruin what other conditions temporarily saved.

The near-Michigan upset shows that perhaps there are things to exploit.

The current UConn Final Four streak is 12.

Certainly, the Huskies are much stronger with a season of experience than at the outset with protocol stoppages and a young roster, with the brunt of the attack initially being carried by Buckers.

In the battle of freshmen going in on Saturday with Iowa, others stepped in such as Aliyah Edwards and Christyn Williamson to help out.

“All of a sudden, you’re not going to be a lot better than you’ve ever been, because at some point, you would have been that already,” Auriemma spouted his philosophy Sunday.

“You’re just going to have to be as good as you are.”

The score  with Iowa was 92-72 and the Hawkeyes’ Clark has 21 points on 21 shots.

Among the many talents on Baylor is NaLyssa Smith, averaging 18.2 points and 8.8 rebounds a game.

“They’re long, they’re athletic, they’re physical, they really try to intimidate you and impose their will on you defensively. I don’t know anybody would ever call us that.”

New Kids on the Block — Indiana and Arizona

In the battle Monday night  between the Hoosiers of the Big Ten and the Wildcats of the PAC-12, both experienced turnarounds with the arrival of Teri Moren in the Midwest and alum Ada Barnes in the desert, returning to her alma mater after also been with the Seattle organization in the WNBA.

And for the Moment, That’s the Report.