NCAAW: UConn rediscovers dominance in rout of South Carolina

The top two teams in the nation lost last week. Needless to say, the women’s college basketball season is heating up.

Results uproot first top-16 reveal

Before Sunday’s slate of games tipped off, the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee shared the season’s first top-16 reveal, an initial peek at how the top four seeds in the four NCAA Tournament regions could shake out come Selection Sunday.

Despite their loss to USC on Thursday, UCLA maintained the No. 1 overall seed, with South Carolina, Texas and Notre Dame claiming the other three No. 1 slots. Here’s the full top 16, divided into the four regions:

Spokane 1: UCLA, LSU, Duke, Tennessee

Birmingham 2: South Carolina, NC State, TCU, Oklahoma

Birmingham 3: Texas, UConn, North Carolina, Ohio State

Spokane 4: Notre Dame, USC, Kansas State, Kentucky

Of course, Sunday’s results suggest the picture presented above is precarious, with more moving and shaking sure to happen before March 16.

UConn smokes South Carolina, 87-58

South Carolina’s status the No. 2 overall seed seems most uncertain after UConn marched into Colonial Life Arena and not only snapped the Gamecocks’ 71-game home winning streak, which was the fourth-longest in the Division I women’s hoops history, but also delivered the kind of dominant performance that recalled UConn teams of yore, winning by nearly 30 points, 87-58.

The Huskies, who had lacked a statement win over a highly-ranked opponent, answered any questions about their status as championship contenders, putting on a two-way masterclass. Offensively, UConn certainly benefitted from a hot shooting afternoon from behind the arc, going 13-for-28, or 46.4 percent, from 3. Yet, UConn consistently created great scoring opportunities. The Huskies moved the ball in the halfcourt to generate good looks. They took advantage in semi-transition. They earned, and then cashed in on, second chances.

It was the kind a clean, clinical offensive performance that a South Carolina defense rarely allows. Rather than requiring a heavy lift from Paige Bueckers, the Huskies got contributions from across the roster, with Bueckers expertly setting up her teammates with a game-high 10 assists. After a slow start, Azzi Fudd caught fire, dropping in picture-perfect jumpers from all over the floor. She finished with 28 points, making six 3-pointers. Ashlynn Shade also added three 3s, while Sarah Strong posted a 16-point and 13-rebound double-double.

Despite often playing with four guards, UConn prevented South Carolina from finding much of anything on offense. In trying to hunt mismatches, the Gamecocks stalled out and stagnated, epitomized by a nine-point second quarter. It was in the second frame where UConn gained significant separation—and then never looked back. A few entries for MiLaysia Fulwiley’s sizzle reel were the only bright spots for South Carolina in what became an absolute rout. Fulwiley ended the afternoon with 11 points, as Joyce Edwards led the Gamecocks with 17 points and five boards.

With four more SEC regular-season games, followed by the conference tournament, South Carolina will have opportunities to respond and retain their claim on a No. 1 seed. For UConn, chances for another statement win are slim, as Big East competition doesn’t provide the tests that will impress the committee and help the Huskies advance to a No. 1 seed. Yet, Sunday’s domination should cause the committee to think long and hard about UConn’s case for a No. 1 spot.

Texas comes back on LSU, 65-58

Although not as unexpected as UConn’s obliteration of South Carolina, the first SEC matchup between Texas and LSU also surprised, as two teams ranked in the top-10 in scoring and offensive efficiency nationally locked into a low-scoring battle. At the half, the teams had combined for 47 points, with the Tigers holding a 28-19 advantage.

Things loosened up after halftime, but this was a game where possessions were precious and execution of favorable opportunities was of utmost importance. By the close of the third, the Longhorns had cut the margin to five points, giving them momentum they carried into to fourth. With just under six minutes remaining, Texas took their first lead since the first quarter, inching ahead by one-point on a Bryanna Preston layup. Although Mikaylah Williams attempted to take the lead back for for the Tigers, hitting three-straight jumpers, the Longhorns repeatedly responded.

Rori Harmon was particularly clutch for the home team, hitting two jumpers with under two and a half minutes to go, both of which kept the Longhorns in the lead by five points. Four made free throws from Madison Booker then iced the game for Texas, 65-58.

Booker led the Longhorns with 16 points; she also grabbed 10 boards for the double-double. Harmon finished with 10 points and five assists, while Taylor Jones contributed 12 points and eight rebounds. Williams had 18 points for LSU, with Flau’jae Johnson, who cooled after a hot start, finishing with 16 points. Aneesah Morrow notched her customary double-double, putting up 15 points while pulling down 20 boards.

The win gives Texas five top-10 victories—including three in a row—and secures their hold on a No. 1 seed. While LSU entered the game with a single loss to South Carolina, they are now left thinking about what could have been. The Tigers likely will need a run to the SEC tournament title to earn a No. 1 seed.

UNC edges NC State, 66-65

In an in-state matchup between a No. 2 seed and a No. 3 seed, No. 3-seed North Carolina snuck out a one-point win over No. 2-seed NC State, 66-65. The victory is even more impressive as the Tar Heels benefitted from less than three minutes of Alyssa Utsby, who exited early with an injury and would not return.

Down 19-12 after the first, they held the Wolfpack to just four points in the second quarter. NC State would charge back, taking a six-point lead with under three minutes remaining in the game and setting up a furious back-and-forth finish. UNC, however, hit their 3s and free throws down the stretch to hang on. Reniya Kelly led the Tar Heels with 23 points, making five triples. Maria Gakdeng and Lexi Donarski each chipped in 10 points, with Gakdeng also corralling eight rebounds.

That’s five-straight wins for the Tar Heels. A date with Duke on Feb. 27, followed by the ACC Tournament, will give the team an opportunity to improve their seeding. NC State, winners of nine-straight before Sunday’s loss, can re-bolster their resume through two upcoming high-profile games against Georgia Tech (Feb. 20) and Notre Dame (Feb. 23).

Status check for the rest of the top 16

The SEC’s three projected No. 4 seeds all took care of business on Sunday, with Tennessee besting Ole Miss, Kentucky running away from Georgia and Oklahoma romping against Missouri.

TCU, a No. 3 seed, also earned an expected win over Arizona, although the murkiness surrounding the latest Sedona Prince situation suggests the Horned Frogs might have bigger things to worry about. The other Big 12 team in the top 16, No. 3-seed Kansas State, won big over UCF on Saturday. They’ll face a tougher test against West Virginia on Monday.

Following their LA showdown, neither UCLA nor USC suffered a letdown loss on Sunday, although both teams came a little bit too close for comfort. The Bruins, without Lauren Betts, surged late against Michigan State, while a similar script played out for the Trojans at Washington.

No. 1-seed Notre Dame, No. 3-seed Duke and No. 4-seed Ohio State are in action on Monday. The Fighting Irish and Blue Devils meet in a consequential ACC contest in South Bend, while the Buckeyes host Iowa.

Mid-winter masterpieces

Last week, JuJu Watkins authored one of the best performances in women’s college basketball history, putting up 38 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, eight blocks and a steal as USC punctured UCLA’s perfect record.

While Watkins deserves the spotlight, these players also flashed glimmers of greatness:

Mikayla Blakes delivered a record-setting double nickel on Sunday. On Jan. 30, the Vanderbilt freshman guard scored 53 points; on Sunday, she netted 55, breaking the freshman scoring record set by Delaware’s Elena Delle Donne in 2010. Blakes shot 15-for-28 from the floor and an almost-perfect 23-for-24 from the free throw line, including hitting all three attempts at the end of regulation to send the game against Auburn into overtime. With Blakes scoring 11 of Vandy’s 14 points in the extra period, the Commodores prevailed over the Tigers, 98-88.

Lucy Olsen further certified her Hawkeye bona fides on Monday night, as the senior guard scored a season-high 32 points as Iowa won at Nebraska, 81-66. In addition to hitting four 3s, Olsen tallied seven assists, six rebounds and two steals. Olsen again was the driving force for Iowa in their win over Rutgers on Thursday.

Ole Miss knocked off Kentucky, thus far undefeated in the SEC, on Monday, 66-57, with grad wing Madison Scott leading the way for the Rebels. She finished with 22 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Overall, Ole Miss outworked Kentucky on the boards, despite the Wildcats’ height advantage. Nine rebounds each from grad guard Kennedy Todd-Williams, senior forward Starr Jacobs and freshman guard Sira Thienou helped the Rebels rake in 46 boards compared to 29 for the ‘Cats. Scott, Todd-Williams and grad guard KK Deans also all surpassed 1,500-career points in the top-10 win.

Azzi Fudd’s 34 points in UConn’s 78-40 win over St. John’s on Wednesday not only was a career high for the senior guard, but also the most scored by a Husky since Nov. 2021. Fudd made eight of her 14 3-pointers, while shooting almost 60 percent from the field overall.

A double-double from senior guard Serena Sundell helped deliver Kansas State a dominant win over Cincinnati on Wednesday, 90-53. She scored 21 points and handed out 10 assists as she also shot 70 percent from the field, in addition to going a perfect 6-for-6 at the line.

A stat-stuffing showcase from Kiara Jackson helped UNLV hold off San Diego State, 75-65, on Wednesday. The senior guard finished with 27 points, nine assists, five rebounds and a steal.

A junior forward in her first season of Division I college basketball who just started playing the game five years ago, Madina Okot was outstanding in Mississippi State’s double overtime win at Vanderbilt on Thursday, 85-77. The 6-foot-6 junior forward had a monster 21-point and 23-rebound double-double. She was 10-for-12 from the field, while also collecting four steals and two blocks.

Junior guard London Gamble unleashed an efficient scoring showcase as Northern Colorado defeated Sacramento State 85-72 on Thursday. She was 12-for-15 from the field, including 3-for-3 from 3, to finish with 27 points. She also filled out the box score with five assists, four steals and three boards.

Senior guards Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron were a two-headed terror for Notre Dame as the Fighting Irish overpowered Pitt 88-57 on Thursday. Miles posted 28 points, seven boards and five assists, making eight of her 13 3-point attempts. Citron was 4-for-5 from deep as she tallied a 22-point and 10-rebound double-double. The performances explain why the pair entice as WNBA prospects; revisit Eric Nemchock’s draft profiles of the excellent Irish guards.

Beware of the Joyce Edwards breakout! The South Carolina freshman forward dropped 28 points on Florida on Thursday in the 101-63 Gamecock win.

Katie Dinnebier has had a number of electric offensive performances during her four seasons at Drake. On Saturday, however, the senior guard had her best, scoring a career-high 42 points as Drake won at Belmont, 88-83. Dinnebier made an absurd nine 3-pointers! She also finished with eight assists and five boards as the Bulldogs held off a late charge from the Bruins.

In another high-scoring MVC matchup, Northern Iowa did not have enough juice to steal a win at Murray State, falling 96-91. Yet, grad guard Maya McDermott almost got the job done for the Panthers, scoring 35 points on 62.5 percent shooting. She also had six boards, six assists and two steals.

After Serena Sundell stuffed the stat sheet for Kansas State on Wednesday, sophomore guard Taryn Sides absolutely ignited for the Wildcats on Saturday. Sides went 6-for-7 from behind the arc, finishing with 21 points, six assists, four rebounds and four steals in the 97-67 victory over UCF.

Under new head coach Gavin Petersen, Utah has quietly compiled an 11-3 mark in the Big 12, winning seven-straight games. The latest victory, a 98-62 domination of Arizona State on Saturday, was captained by senior guard Gianna Kneepkens, who posted a 24-point and 12-rebound double-double while shooting almost 70 percent from the field.

Without Ta’Niya Latson, who recently spoke to our Zachary Draves, O’Mariah Gordon and Makayla Timpson stepped up for Florida State, leading the Seminoles to the one-point win at Miami on Sunday, 83-82. The two combined on the game-winning bucket, with Timpson finishing a pass from Gordon. The game-winner capped off a 22-point and nine-rebound afternoon from the senior forward. The senior guard poured in a career-high 34 points, in addition to dishing seven assists.

A look ahead

Don’t miss any of these must-see conference matchups:

Monday, Feb. 17

Iowa vs. Ohio State (12 p.m. ET, FOX)

Kansas State vs. West Virginia (2 p.m. ET, FOX)

Duke vs. Notre Dame (6 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Michigan vs. Maryland (6 p.m. ET, BTN)

Wednesday, Feb. 19

Michigan State vs. USC (9:30 p.m. ET, Peacock)

Thursday, Feb. 20

Alabama vs. Tennessee (6:30 p.m. ET, SECN+)

NC State vs. Georgia Tech (7 p.m. ET, ACC Extra)

Louisville vs. Duke (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Saturday, Feb. 22

Iowa State vs. Baylor (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX)

Sunday, Feb. 23

Notre Dame vs. NC State (12 p.m. ET, ESPN/Disney+)

West Virginia vs. TCU (12 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

UCLA vs. Iowa (2 p.m. ET, Peacock)

North Carolina vs. Louisville (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)

LSU vs. Kentucky (4 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Florida State vs. Georgia Tech (ACC Extra)