The SEC/ACC Challenge did not disappoint on Wednesday. We had multiple tightly-contested games, and in the end, the SEC won four of the six matchups. Here’s how it all went down between these two conferences:
Oklahoma overcomes Louisville
In the battle of two ranked teams, No. 11 Oklahoma, down by as many as 17 points, came back to beat No. 22 Louisville, 78-72. The Sooners got it done largely thanks to the play of senior guard Payton Verhulst. She had 21 points, including six of the team’s last eight. Helping her were her sophomore forward Sahara Williams, who scored 15 points, and junior center Raegan Beers, who had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Louisville will be looking back at the fourth quarter with tremendous regret, given that they started the final frame up by nine but could not finish the job and pull off the upset.
Georgia Tech remains undefeated
Both Georgia Tech and Mississippi State entered this game unbeaten but only walked out that way. The Yellow Jackets got it done versus the Bulldogs, winning 78-75.
Mississippi State was leading 75-74 with less than 90 seconds left in the game. Georgia Tech senior forward Kayla Blackshear scored on a layup to take the lead. After the Bulldogs missed three attempts at the basket, grad forward Zoesha Smith pulled down the defensive rebound and freshman guard Dani Carnegie iced the game with a pair of free throws.
Tennessee wins thriller over Florida State
The final close contest of night one of the SEC/ACC Challenge happened between Tennessee and Florida State, with junior forward Zee Spearman converting the game-winning layup with 24 seconds remaining to give the Lady Vols the 79-77 win.
Tennessee got a big performance from sophomore guard Talaysia Cooper, who had 22 points to lead the Lady Vols. She also had seven rebounds, which tied for the team-high.
Florida State got a monster game from junior guard Ta’Niya Latson, who scored 38 points for the Seminoles. However, the bench production was lacking, as Sydney Bowles scored all 10 bench points for the team. Tennessee benefitted from 23 points by reserves.
Commodores claim biggest blowout of the night
Vanderbilt dominated Miami, beating them 88-70. The Commodores jumped out to a 21-9 lead to start the game and never looked back. Sophomore forward Khamil Pierre was marvelous in the win. She scored 28 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and stole the ball five times. She was the team leader in all three statistical categories.
Texas A&M edges out Syracuse
Neither Texas A&M nor Syracuse are considered top contenders in their conferences. However, the Aggies did just enough to win, executing a comeback victory by outscoring the Orange 21-11 in the third quarter. Texas A&M won 57-45 and did much of their damage near the rim, scoring 24 points in the paint.
Hokies come back in the fourth
Virginia Tech was down by as many as nine at one point but came out victorious, beating Georgia, 70-61. The Lady Bulldogs were up by four entering the fourth, but the Hokies went on a 24-8 run in the final 10 minutes to turn a narrow loss into a comfortable win. The Hokies’ attack was balanced, with four players in double figures.
The SEC currently leads the competition 4-2, but with 10 games scheduled for Thursday, the ACC will still have a chance to win this second-annual contest.
