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The primary spherical of the NCAA Girls’s Match tipped off on Friday. Listed below are 5 takeaways from an exhilarating day.
1. Defending nationwide champion LSU struggled in its first recreation
In a 70-60 victory, the third-seeded Tigers (29-5) dedicated a season-high 24 turnovers towards the 14th-seeded Rice Owls (19-15). Additionally they had 11 assists, tied for his or her third-fewest this season.
LSU head coach Kim Mulkey admitted her crew appeared sloppy.
“That was a nasty efficiency immediately. It was a variety of egocentric play immediately, and it begins with me on getting them prepared,” Mulkey stated, via ESPN.com. “The objective is to outlive and advance. And we did do this with an unpleasant efficiency.”
Whereas Rice gained 4 straight video games earlier than this matchup, LSU should discover its groove shortly. The Tigers are within the stacked Albany Regional 2, which incorporates 2022-23 runner-up Iowa. A colleague not too long ago told The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach, “She’s by no means seen a area this tough.”
2. Louisville laid an egg
The sixth-seeded Cardinals (24-10) had made 5 straight Elite Eight appearances coming into the event, which made their collapse towards Eleventh-seeded Center Tennessee State (30-4) much more surprising.
Within the 71-69 defeat, Blue Raiders guard Savannah Wheeler — Convention USA Participant of the 12 months — scored 20 of her 22 factors within the second half. The late surge helped MTSU erase an 18-point deficit, finishing the third-largest comeback in NCAA Match historical past.
Anticipate Cardinals HC Jeff Walz to make some vital adjustments following the upset.
“I’ve received to get again to doing issues the way in which I did previously,” he stated, per Alexis Cubit of the Louisville Courier-Journal.
3. Virginia Tech proved it will possibly win with out Elizabeth Kitley
On Thursday, Virginia Tech HC Kenny Brooks confirmed Kitley — the ACC Participant of the 12 months — suffered a torn ACL in early March and would miss the NCAA Match. The senior heart led the crew in scoring (22.8 PPG) this season.
Nonetheless, a dominant efficiency towards Thirteenth-seeded Marshall indicators that the fourth-seeded Hokies could make a run with out their greatest participant. Within the 92-49 victory, they set a college document for factors scored in an NCAA Match recreation, together with 28 from their bench.
On Sunday, the Hokies have a tough matchup towards fifth-seeded Baylor. However they made the Last 4 final season and nonetheless have sufficient firepower to make it once more.
4. Iowa State’s Audi Crooks is a rising star
The freshman heart scored a career-high 40 factors in 34 minutes. This helped the seventh-seeded Cyclones (21-11) erase a 20-point lead and full the second-largest comeback in NCAA Match historical past in a 93-86 victory towards Maryland (19-14).
Crooks is turning into probably the most dominant forces in faculty basketball. Over the previous 5 video games, she’s averaged 27 points per game.
Iowa State will face Stanford or Norfolk State on Sunday. Regardless, the Cyclones ought to maintain using Crooks’ sizzling hand to make a deep run.
5. Madison Booker can drive Texas to the Last 4
The freshman ahead has turn into the Longhorns’ driving drive since junior guard Rori Harmon suffered a season-ending ACL tear in December.
In an 82-42 victory towards No. 16 seed Drexel (19-15), Booker tallied 14 assists, a program document in an NCAA Match recreation. Her exact passing helped Texas shoot 50 p.c from the sector.
Booker is one motive the Longhorns (31-4) may make their first Last 4 journey since 2003 and assist HC Vic Schaefer win his first nationwide championship.
6. South Carolina nonetheless appears like one of the best crew
It is not a foregone conclusion, but it surely’s straightforward to see why FanDuel offers South Carolina one of the best nationwide championship odds (-145).
The Gamecocks (33-0) boat raced No. 16 Presbyterian (21-15) 91-39 with out main scorer heart Kamilla Cardoso (14 PPG), who was serving a one-game suspension attributable to an ejection within the SEC Championship recreation towards LSU.
Do not be shocked if South Carolina cruises to the Last 4 in Cleveland. On Sunday, the Gamecocks face North Carolina, who they beat 65-58 in Chapel Hill on Nov. 30.
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