The Guru NCAA WBB Tourney Report: Clark-Led Iowa Gets Revenge Win on Defending Champs LSU While UConn Shocks Southern Cal to Complete Final Four
By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru
The Women’s Final Four field for Cleveland this weekend has been filled with the last two spots locked up Monday night in two pulsating competitions with one producing a surprising result.
But well before tipoff, breaking news in the afternoon brought the firing of Tennessee coach Kellie Harper, a former Lady Vol player, and the second to be dismissed since the legendary Pat Summitt retired with eight NCAA titles and 1,098 wins, then tops in the women’s game, to battle dementia, which ultimately claimed her life.
Associate head coach Holly Warlick succeeded her but was let go when failing to get back to a Final Four since 2008, and Harper was brought in to get the job done.
But that hasn’t happened though if Kamilla Cardoso hadn’t saved South Carolina with her first ever three at the buzzer in an SEC game to edge Tennessee or the Vols in the second round had won at NC State, which upset fourth-ranked Texas Sunday to get to Cleveland, perhaps Harper might still be at her alma mater.
The lone name out there on the speculation list with Summitt ties as a former player is Duke coach Kara Lawson, who will be on USA coach Cheryl Reeve’s Olympic staff this summer.
Louisville’s Jeff Walz and Arizona’s Adia Barnes were two names speculated the last time outside the Lady Vol family before Harper’s hire, but maybe Maryland’s Brenda Frese, once considered untouchable could be ripe for a change.
Back to the tournament, Monday evening began in Albany Regional Two in upstate New York at the MVP Arena a day after overall No. 1 and unbeaten South Carolina held off No. 3 Oregon State to punch the first ticket ahead of the widely anticipated national title game rematch between the Caitlin Clark-led No. 1 seed and second rank Iowa bunch against the 3 seed and eighth ranked defending champion LSU squad.
The underdog Tigers (31-6) led by Angel Reese, who held the upper hand in Dallas, and Flau’jae Johnson, held their own into the halftime break tied 45-45.
But the Hawkeyes (33-4) got their revenge exploding 24-13 in the third period and holding on for a 94-87 victory as Clark, the NCAA DI all-time scoring leader, dazzled again this time with 41 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds and nine made 3-pointers. She also had 41 in last season’s Elite Eight round.
“It’s so hard to get there,” Clark said of the return ticket punched. “This region was really hard, but we told ourselves we are the one seed for a reason.”
Last year’s title game in the afternoon on ABC drew a record 9.9 million viewers setting the stage for the five-month lead up to March Madness this time around which exceeded all expectations with record viewing on a bunch of TV networks, sellout crowds wherever Clark played and a multitude of full houses elsewhere, a bunch of nightly upsets, and exciting freshman talent.
Reese finished with 17 points and 20 rebounds, while Johnson scored 23, DePaul transfer Aneesah Morrow had 14 points and 14 rebounds, and freshman Mikaylah Williams scored 18 with seven boards for the squad coached by Kim Mulkey seeking her fifth title, including three previously at Baylor.
She also won the first NCAA title as a point guard at Louisiana Tech.
Kate Martin added 21 for the Hawkeyes, and Sydney Affolter scored 16 with five boards.
“I think it's just great for the sport, just being able to be a part of history,” Reese, who fouled out with 1:45 remaining, said. “Like I said, no matter which way it went tonight, I know this was going to be a night for the ages.
“And just being able to be part of history is great. Playing against another great player, of course, is always amazing.”
Amazing is what Clark has been as a magnet for nation-wide attention and the WNBA is salivating for her arrival prohibitively as the overall No. 1 pick at the April 15th draft in Brooklyn when the Indiana Fever announces its choice.
Clark had a choice to stay for a fifth year off the COVID pandemic allowance by the NCAA but announced recently she was ready to turn pro. Reese also has the choice which she has yet to reveal.
In the third quarter, Clark moved into the spotlight in front of the sellout crowd, with four from deep, including one from her signature logo range to put Iowa up 61-52.
That added to her mountain of records, this one most career threes at 538 to top all NCAA DI players eclipsing Oklahoma’s Taylor Robertson.
Mulkey said of Clark, “There’s not a lot of strategy. You’ve got to guard her. We didn’t even guard her last year when we beat them. She’s just a generational player, and she just makes everybody around her better.”
The nine threes tied the March Madness single game record.
“When you are playing a team like LSU, they are never out of the game. No matter what the time or score is. Do not start celebrating or get too emotional. They are going to fight until the end,” Clark said.
She also broke the NCAA tourney record of 136 assists held by LSU’s Tameka Johnson and now is at 140 while the nine threes match the amount by Purdue’s Courtney Moses (2012) and UConn’s Kia Nurse (2017).
But with one player showdown for Clark in the books, another is coming Friday in the second game at 9 p.m. on ESPN, after NC State meets South Carolina at 7.
But it’s not going to be against Southern Cal freshman JuJu Watkins, second in the nation in scoring (27.0) behind Clark (31,7), and just in front of Villanova’s Lucy Olsen (23.4).
That’s because following the Iowa win, three seed and 10th ranked Connecticut donned Cinderella outfits and stunned the three-seed and third ranked Trojans 80-73 in the title game of the Portland Region 3 in Oregon at the Moda Center.
The discrepancy discovered Sunday in the 3-point measurements was corrected during the day.
The men and women of both UConn and NC State are in Final Fours, now making it 15 times of occurrence, though the Huskies are the only teams to win both in the same weekend.
It’s a first for two Final Four doubles the same season.
The UConn men won another title last season and are favored to win again while the women, with a limited roster due to injuries, at one point were not expected to be in the field of 68 after falling to 17th in the AP poll, their lowest spot in three decades.
When Geno Auriemma’s group (33-5) was thought to be out of gas after Saturday’s Duke game to face USC (29-6), it was easy to rely on the electricity of Page Bueckers, who scored 28 with 10 boards, enjoying her first full season since she and Clark were dueling freshmen on the national scene in 2021 with Beckers the first rookie to win national player of the year.
The two met that season in the tournament in the Sweet Sixteen with UConn winning in the bubble format in San Antonio.
Since then, Clark went on to a record-setting career while Beckers missed a chunk of 2022 with an injury before returning to lead the Huskies to the title game suffering their first loss in 12 games at that stage to South Carolina.
Beckers missed all of 2023 with a knee injury and the Connecticut streak of 14 straight Final Fours was broken by Ohio State in the Sweet Sixteen.
“Today was one of the most rewarding feelings I’ve ever felt in my life,” Beckers said. “Now I’m here with my teammates and coaching staff and going to a Final Four.
“It’s been a very rewarding journey. I’m super, super grateful for it all. The tough times made me who I am. It’s built my faith. It’s built my appreciation for life and gratitude for anything that gets thrown my way.”
Aaliyah Edwards added 24 points.
USC’s Watkins had 29 points and 10 boards, Rayah Marshall had 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Harvard transfer Mackenzie Forbes scored 24 points.
It was close most of the way until the Huskies in the final five minutes broke from a slim 65-64 lead on an 11-0 run, seven from Bueckers and and old-fashioned three-point play from Edwards sending them to a record-setting 23 national semifinals.
“Today was Paige doing Paige things,” said Auriemma, now in his 39th season, adding, “I think our coaching staff had to deal with an enormous amount of things this year that we never had to deal with before. I’m really proud of our staff.”
USC was looking to advance to its first Final Four since 1986, Cheryl Miller’s senior season when the Trojans fell to Texas in the title game, the Longhorns finishing with the first perfect record in NCAA women’s competition.
“For the most part, this was a really good basketball game and ghey beat us,” said Trojans coach Lindsay Gottlieb, who had led Cal to a Final Four and was hired several years ago when she was an assistant with the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers.
Watkins, who also broke a slew of records, passed former San Diego State star Tina Hutchinson for most NCAA freshman points in a season.
She credited the Huskies’ defense. “Every time I got past the first line, someone was there,” she said.
Added Gottlieb, “I don’t know Paige personally, but to see that kid be out for two years and come back and do this, as much hurt as we’re in, they earned it, and I credit them.”
It had been a magical season of revival for USC from the first week upsetting then No. 7 Ohio State and rocketing quickly up the AP Poll.
The Trojans won the Pac-12 tourney title to earn the third No. 1 seed.
That helped Auriemma because in winning the Big East the same weekend, he picked up two wins on sister Hall of Famer Tara VanDerveer and when Stanford was upset Friday by NC State, he now picked up two more to just trail her by three 1,216-1,213 for most wins in collegiate basketball men or women.
Washington State, a No. 1 seed in the NCAA new Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament was upset in the national semifinals at Butler’s Hinkley Fieldhouse in Indianapolis by No. 4 Illinois.
The win sends the Illini to Wednesday’s title game at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 against Villanova, which held off Penn State.
With the Cougars’ loss and now several hours later USC’s setback, it’s lights out on Pac-12 hoops.
After a season with six women’s teams mostly in the top 10 and sent to NCAA tourney, the football-driven realignment is sending all but the football teams of Washington State and Oregon State away from the Conference of Champions to the other Power 5 leagues of the Big 12, Big Ten, and ACC, while the other sports teams of WSU and OSU will compete in the West Coast Conference the next two seasons.
Texas and Oklahoma are heading from the Big 12 to the SEC, which adding to the Kentucky hire of Kenny Brooks from Virginia Tech and the domination of South Carolina and LSU might be added to the motivation of Tennessee changing coaches.
NCAA 2024 Women’s Tournament by Bracket Pairings
(All results thru the Elite Eight and Schedule of Final 4 Dates and TV)
ALBANY REGION 1
First Four – South Carolina Hosting
Wednesday, March 20
Colonial Life Arena
Columbia, S.C.
7 p.m. ESPNU
No. 16 Sacred Heart 24-10F vs. No. 16 Presbyterian 21-14 W:49-42
First Round – South Carolina Hosting
Friday, March 22
Colonial Life Arena
Columbia, S.C.
2 p.m. ESPN
No. 16 Presbyterian 21-15F at No. 1/AP1 South Carolina 33-0 W:91-39
11:30 a.m.
No. 8 North Carolina 20-12 W:59-56 vs. No. 9 Michigan State 22-9F
Second Round
Sunday, March 24
Colonial Life Arena
Columbia, S.C.
1 p.m. ABC
No. 8 North Carolina 20-13F at No. 1/AP1 South Carolina 34-0 W:88-41
First Round – Indiana Hosting
Saturday, March 23
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall
Bloomington, Ind.
1:30 p.m. ESPN2
No. 13/AP25 Fairfield 31-2F at No. 4/AP14 Indiana 25-5 W:89-56
4 p.m. ESPNN
No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast 29-5F vs. No. 5/ AP18 Oklahoma 23-9 W:73-70
Second Round
Monday, March 25
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall
Bloomington, Ind.
6:30 p.m. ESPN2
No. 5/AP18 Oklahoma 23-10F at No. 4/AP14 Indiana 26-5 W:75-68
First Round – Oregon State Hosting
Friday, March 22
Gill Coliseum
Corvallis, Ore.
8 p.m. ESPNU
No. 14 Eastern Washington 29-6F at No. 3/AP12 Oregon State 25-7 W:73-51
10:30 p.m. ESPNU
No. 11 Texas A&M 19-13F vs. No. 6 Nebraska 23-11 W:61-59
Second Round
Sunday, March 24
Gill Coliseum
Corvallis, Ore.
4 p.m. ESPN
No. 6 Nebraska 23-12 at No. 3/AP12 Oregon State 26-7 W:61-51
First Round – Notre Dame Hosting
Saturday, March 23
Purcell Pavilion
Notre Dame, Ind.
4:45 p.m., ESPN2
10 Marquette 23-9F vs. 7 Ole Miss 24-8 W:67-55
2:15 p.m. ESPN
No. 15 Kent State 21-11F at No. 2/AP9 Notre Dame 27-6 W:81-67
Second Round
Monday, March 25
Purcell Pavilion
Notre Dame, Ind.
2 p.m. ESPN
No. 7 Ole Miss 24-9F at No. 2/AP9 Notre Dame 28-6 W:71-56
Sweet 16
Friday, March 29
MVP Arena
Albany, N.Y.
5 p.m. ESPN
Nos. 1 /AP1 South Carolina 35-0 W;79-75 vs. Nos. 4/AP14 Indiana 26-6F
2:30 p.m. ESPN
Nos. 2/AP9 Notre Dame 28-7F vs. Nos. 3/AP12 Oregon State 27-7 W:70-65
Elite Eight
Sunday, March 31
MVP Arena
Albany, N.Y.
TBA TV-TBA
No. 1 South Carolina 36-0 W:70-58 vs. No. 3 Oregon State 27-8F
PORTLAND REGION 4
First Round – Texas Hosting
Friday, March 22
Moody Center
Austin, Texas
3 p.m. ESPNU
No. 16 Drexel 19-15F vs. No. 1/AP4 Texas 31-4 W:82-42
5:30 p.m. ESPN2
No. 8 Alabama 24-9 W:82-74 vs. No. 9 Florida State 23-11F
Second Round
Sunday, March 24
Moody Center
Austin, Texas
6 p.m. ESPN
Nos. 8 Alabama 24-10F at No. 1/AP4 Texas 32-4 W:65-54
First Round – Gonzaga Hosting
Saturday, March 23
McCarthy Athletic Center
Spokane, Wash.
7:30 p.m. ESPN2
No. 4/AP16 Gonzaga 31-3 W:75-56 vs. No. 13 UC Irvine 23-9F
10 p.m. ESPNU
No. 5/AP21 Utah 23-10 W:68-64 vs. No. 12 South Dakota State 27-6F
Second Round
Monday, March 25
McCarthy Athletic Center
Spokane, Wash.
10:30 p.m. ESPN2
Nos. 5 Utah 23-11F at No. 4/AP16 Gonzaga 32-3 W:77-66
First Round – NC State Hosting
Saturday, March 23
Reynolds Coliseum
Raleigh, N.C.
2:30 p.m. ESPNU
No. 14 Chattanooga 28-5F at No. 3/AP11 NC State 28-6 W:64-45
12 p.m. ESPN
No. 11 Green Bay 27-7F vs. No. 6 Tennessee 20-12 W:92-63
Second Round
Monday, March 25
Reynolds Coliseum
Raleigh, N.C.
4 p.m. ESPN
No. 6 Tennessee 20-13F at No. 3/AP11 NC State 29-6 W:79-72
First Round – Stanford Hosting
Friday, March 22
Maples Pavilion
Stanford, Calif.
7:30 p.m., ESPN2
10 Maryland 19-14F vs. 7 Iowa State 21-11 W:93-86
10 p.m., ESPN2
No. 15 Norfolk State 27-6F at No. 2/AP5 Stanford 29-5 W:79-50
Second Round
Sunday, March 25
Maples Pavilion
Stanford, Calif.
10 p.m. ESPN
No. 7 Iowa State 21-12F at No. 2/AP5 Stanford 30-5 W87-81ovt
Sweet 16
Friday, March 29
Moda Center
Portland, Ore.
10 p.m. ESPN
Nos. 1/AP 4 Texas 33-4 W:69-47 vs. Nos. 4/AP16 Gonzaga 32-4F
7:30 p.m. ESPN
No. 2/AP5 Stanford 30-6F vs. Nos. 3/AP11 NC State 30-6 W:77-67
Elite Eight
Sunday, March 31
Moda Center
Portland, Ore.
TBA TV-TBA
Nos. 1/AP4 Texas 33-5F vs. No. 3/AP11 NC State 31-6 W:76-66
ALBANY REGION 2
First Four – Iowa Hosting
Thursday, March 21
Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Iowa City, Iowa
7 p.m. ESPNU
No. 16 UT Martin 16-17 vs. No. 16 Holy Cross 21-12 W:72-45
First Round – Iowa Hosting
Saturday, March 23
Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Iowa City, Iowa
3 p.m. ABC
No. 16 Holy Cross 21-13F W: 72-45 at No. 1/AP2 Iowa 30-4 W:91-6
5:30 p.m. ESPN2
No. 8 West Virginia 25-7 W:63-53 vs. No. 9 Princeton 25-5F
Second Round
Monday, March 25
Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Iowa City, Iowa
8 p.m. ESPN
Nos. 8 West Virginia 25-8F at No. 1/AP2 Iowa 31-4 W:64-54
First Round – Kansas State Hosting
Friday, March 22
Bramiage Coliseum
Manhattan, Kansas
4:30 p.m. ESPNN
No. 13 Portland 21-13F at No. 4/AP15 Kansas State 26-7 W:78-65
7 p.m. ESPNN
No. 12 Drake 29-6F vs. No. 5/AP18 Colorado 23-9 W:86-72
Second Round
Sunday, March 24
Bramiage Coliseum
Manhattan, Kansas
2 p.m. ESPN
No. 5/AP18 Colorado 24-9 W:63-50 at No. 4/AP15 Kansas State 26-8F
First Round – LSU Hosting
Friday, March 22
Pete Maravich Assembly Center
Baton Rouge, La.
4 p.m. ESPN
No. 14 Rice 19-15F at No. 3/AP8 LSU 29-5 W:70-60
1:30 p.m. ESPN2
No. 11 Middle Tennessee 30-4 W:71-69 vs. No. 6/AP23 Louisville 24-10F
Second Round
Sunday, March 24
Pete Maravich Assembly Center
Baton Rouge, La.
3 p.m. ABC
No. 11 Middle Tennessee 30-5F at No. 3/AP8 LSU 30-5 W:83-56
First Round – UCLA Hosting
Saturday, March 23
Pauley Pavilion
Los Angeles, Calif.
7 p.m., ESPNN
No.10/AP UNLV 30-3F vs. No. 7/AP24 Creighton 26-5 W:87-73
9:30 p.m. ESPN2
No. 15 California Baptist 28-4F at No. 2/AP6 UCLA 26-6 W:84-55
Second Round
Monday, March 24
Pauley Pavilion
Los Angeles, Calif.
8:30 p.m. ESPN2
No. 7/AP24 Creighton 26-5F at Nos. 2/AP6 UCLA 27-6 W:67-63
Sweet 16
Saturday, March 30
MVP Arena
Albany, N.Y.
3:30 p.m. ABC
Nos. 1/AP2 Iowa 32-4 W:89-68 vs. Nos. 5/AP18 Colorado 24-10F
1 p.m. ABC
Nos. 2/AP6 UCLA 27-7F vs. Nos. 3/AP8 LSU 31-5 W:78-69
Elite Eight
Monday, April 1
MVP Arena
Albany, N.Y.
TBA TV-TBA
Nos. 1/AP2 Iowa 33-4 W:94-87 v. No. 3/AP8 LSU 31-6F
PORTLAND REGION 3
First Four
Virginia Tech Hosting
Wednesday, March 20
Cassell Coliseum
Blacksburg, Va.
9 p.m. ESPNU
No. 12 Vanderbilt 23-9 W:72-68 vs. No. 12 Columbia 23-7F
Connecticut Hosting
Thursday, March 21
Gampel Pavilion
Storrs, Conn.
7 p.m. ESPN2
No. 11 Arizona 18-15 W:69-59 vs. No. 11 Auburn 20-12F
First Round – Southern Cal Hosting
Saturday, March 23
Galen Center
Los Angeles, Calif.
4:30 p.m. ESPN
No. 16 Texas A&M-CC 23-9F at No. 1/AP3 Southern Cal 27-5 W:87-55
2 p.m.
No. 8 Kansas 20-12 W: 81-72 ovt. vs. No. 9 Michigan 20-14F
Second Round
Monday, March 25
Galen Center
Los Angeles, Calif.
10 p.m. ESPN
No. 8 Kansas 20-13F at No. 1/AP3 Southern Cal 28-5 W:73-55
First Round – Virginia Tech Hosting
Friday, March 22
Cassell Coliseum
Blacksburg, Va.
3:30 p.m. ESPN2
No. 13 Marshall 26-7F at No.4/AP13 Virginia Tech 25-7 W:92-49
6 p.m. ESPNU
No. 5/AP19 Baylor 25-7 W:80-63 vs. No. 12 Vanderbilt 23-10F
Second Round
Sunday, March 24
Cassell Coliseum
Blacksburg, Va.
8 p.m. ESPN
No. 5/AP19 Baylor 26-7 W:75-72 at No. 4/AP13 Virginia Tech 25-8F
First Round – Connecticut Hosting
Saturday, March 23
Gampel Pavilion
Storrs, Conn.
1 p.m. ABC
No. 14 Jackson State 26-7F at No. 3/AP10 Connecticut 30-5 W:86-64
3:30 p.m. ESPN2
No. 11 Arizona 18-16F vs. No. 6/AP22 Syracuse 24-7 W:74-69
Second Round
Monday, March 25
Gampel Pavilion
Storrs, Conn.
6 p.m. ESPN
Nos. 6/AP22 Syracuse 24-8F at No. 3/AP10 Connecticut 31-5 W:72-64
First Round – Ohio State Hosting
Friday, March 22
Value City Arena
Columbus, Ohio
2:30 p.m. ESPNN
10 Richmond 29-6F vs. 7 Duke 21-11 W:72-61
12 p.m. ESPN
No. 15 Maine 24-10 at No. 2/AP7 Ohio State 26-5 W:80-57
Second Round
Sunday, March 24
Value City Arena
Columbus, Ohio
12 p.m. ESPN
No. 7 Duke 22-11 W:75-63 at No. 2/AP7 Ohio State 26-6F
Sweet 16
Saturday, March 30
Moda Center
Portland, Ore.
5:30 p.m. ESPN
Nos. 1/AP3 Southern Cal 29-5 W:74-70 vs. No. 5/AP19 Baylor 26-8F
8 p.m. ESPN
No. 7 Duke 22-12F vs. Nos. 3/AP10 Connecticut 32-5 W:53-45
Elite Eight
Monday, April 1
Moda Center
Portland, Ore.
TBA TV-TBA
Nos. 1/AP3 Southern Cal 29-6F vs. No. 3/AP10 Connecticut 33-5 W:80-73
Women’s Final Four
Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
Cleveland, Ohio
National Semifinals
Friday, April 5
7 p.m. ESPN
AR1 No. 1/AP1 South Carolina 36-0 vs. PR4 No. 3/AP11 NC State 31-6
9 p.m. ESPN
AR2 No. 1/AP2 Iowa 33-4 vs. PR3 No. 3/AP10 Connecticut 33-5
National Championship
Sunday, April 7
3 p.m. ABC
Semifinal Winners
posted by Mel Greenberg | 4:57 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home