Womhoops Guru

Mel Greenberg covered college and professional women’s basketball for the Philadelphia Inquirer, where he worked for 40 plus years. Greenberg pioneered national coverage of the game, including the original Top 25 women's college poll. His knowledge has earned him nicknames such as "The Guru" and "The Godfather," as well as induction into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.

Saturday, April 06, 2024

The Guru’s NCAA Report: South Carolina Routs N.C. State With High-Scoring Third Quarter While Iowa Rallies Over UConn to Reach the NCAA Title Game

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

CLEVELAND — Somebody’s unfinished business from last season’s Women’s Final Four is going to be completed here Sunday afternoon in the NCAA women’s basketball national championship in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (3 p.m., ABC-TV).

Overall No. 1 seed and top-ranked South Carolina and second-ranked Iowa, the latter featuring scoring record-setter Caitlin Clark, reached the title round Friday night in two wildly separate ways to bring yet another revenge-tinged rematch in less than a week and one likely to continue to attract a high volume of viewers.

For South Carolina (37-0), which was in the national semifinals' opener, coach Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks moved from a slim 32-31 halftime lead to erupt with a matching record for scoring in the round in the third quarter 29-6 to go on to a 78-59 victory  over third-seed and 11th-ranked North Carolina State (34-4), which got here out of the Portland Regional 4 in Oregon upsetting second-seeded Stanford and top-seeded Texas.

“We turned up the heat,” Staley said of that decisive quarter.

The night cap between the Hawkeyes (34-4) and third-seeded and 10th-ranked UConn was a different matter and while exciting belied the hyped dual between Clark and the Huskies’ Paige Bueckers.

The 11-time NCAA champion Huskies (33-6) held Clark, the NCAA career-scoring leader, in check through the first three quarters and led by as many as 12 points in the second period.

But she broke free in the final ten minutes with eight points, including the last point in a bizarre 71-69 finish when after UConn trailing 70-69 forced a turnover with nine seconds left, the Huskies gave it right back six seconds later when Aaliyah Edwards was called for an offensive foul with an Illegal screen.

For UConn, it was likely one of the most devastating losses, if not the worst, in program history, having effectively survived a slew of injuries to surprise by returning to the Final Four after a record of 14 straight died in the Sweet 16 last season at the hands of Ohio State.

“We put ourselves in position to win a game that we probably had no business being in given the circumstances we worked with,” said Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma, who with 1,213 career wins is just three behind Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer for most in collegiate hoops, men or women.

“In the moment, when you’re trying to win the game and don’t win the game, you don’t think you’re lucky to be here, you just think about we had an opprtunity to win this game and we didn’t.”

Said Bueckers, “Everybody can make a big deal of that one single play, but not one single play wins a basketball game or loses a basketball game.”

For South Carolina, it’s a chance to pay Iowa back for last season’s semifinals upset that ruined the Gamecock’s perfect record and become the 10th team in NCAA women’s history to go unbeaten besides claiming a third national crown.

And for Iowa, it’s a chance to take the last step, blocked a year ago in the championship by LSU, which the Hawkeyes eliminated Monday night in Albany between a women’s viewership record of 12.3 million. A year ago, the championship airing for the first time on ABC drew 12.9 million.

It also gives Clark a chance to go out on a wave of glory before being the likelihood overall No. 1 draft pick of the WNBA Indiana Fever on April 15th in Brooklyn (N.Y.).

“South Carolina has been the top of the top,” she said. “They’re in a different league. We’re going to do everything we can to try to be right there with them.

“But yeah, I think he biggest thing. Is enjoy this tonight and we’ll go over the scout early in the morning.”

Clark always spoke of team success while becoming the number one attraction in the nation and while it took her a while to get going, Hannah Stuelke became a threat scoring 23 points, though Clark was still close to another. Triple double with 21 points, 7 assists, and nine rebounds.

Kate Martin had 11 points, and Sydney Affolter had eight points and seven rebounds.

Connecticut’s Edwards in her final collegiate game had 17 points, eight rebounds, and three assists, Bueckers also scored 17, freshman KK Arnold had 14 points, and Nika Muhl had nine playing tight defense on Clark all night.

“I. Thought we started off the fourth quarter really good,” Clark said. “Came up with some big baskets. Hannah came up with some baskets. Kate (Martin) was tremendous. Jusgt resilient.”

In. South Carolina’s game, Kamilla Cardoso was the story with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Raven Johnson scored 13, Te-Hina Paopao scored 10, and Ashley Watkins set a record for a reserve in the tournament with 20 rebounds.

NC State’s Aziaha James scored 20, while River Baldwin and Zoe Brooks each scored 12 points.

“They just punched us in the mouth in that third quarter,”James said. “I felt like the third quarter really hurt us. I feel like we could have fought harder. It was 6-29. We can’t let things like that happen to win a championship.”

NCAA 2024 Women’s Tournament by Bracket Pairings

 (All results thru National Semifinals plus Championship Date 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 37-0 W:78-59 vs. PR4 No. 3/AP11 NC State 31-7F 

9 p.m. ESPN

AR2 No. 1/AP2 Iowa 34-4 W: 71-69 vs. PR3 No. 3/AP10 Connecticut 33-6F

 

National Championship

Sunday, April 7

3 p.m. ABC

AR1 No. 1/AP1 South Carolina 37-0 vs. AR2 No. 1/AP2 Iowa 34-4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

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