Destanni Henderson set a new career record with 23 points, while Aliyah Boston scored 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the No. In the regular-season finale, 1 South Carolina beat Mississippi 71 to57.
Boston’s record streak of double-doubles was extended to 21 by the Gamecocks (27-1 and 15-1 Southeastern Conference), which had already won the regular-season title. Nashville as the No. 1 seed for the league tournament.
They were in tight games until the final stretch against the Rebels (22-7 and 10-6) which had won four consecutive. South Carolina won the game with a 12-0 win.
Shakira Austin, Ole Miss’s leader with 20 points and seven boards, led the Rebels to victory with eight points in the fourth. She made 8 out of 14 shots.
No. No. 14 NOTRE DAME 64
SOUTH BEND (Ind.) (AP) — Kianna Smeck and Hailey Van Lith scored 20 points each. Louisville raced to a big lead and defeated Notre Dame in a tough matchup.
In the first quarter, the Cardinals (16-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) were leading 41-3. They defeated the Irish (21-7 and 13-5) six times in the conference regular season closer for both teams.
Louisville led 48-6 after Notre Dame scored consecutive baskets. The second was made by Olivia Miles at 2 minutes 49 before the half-time break.
After exchanging words, Miles and Mykasa joined in a shoving match. After a long video review, and heated discussion with coaches Jeff Walz and Niele Ivey (Cardinals), Notre Dame’s Dara Mabrey & Van Lith were also whistled for intentional fouls.
No. 21 IOWA 104. 6 MICHIGAN 80
IOWA CITY (Iowa City) — Caitlin C Clark scored 38 points and had 11 assists to help Iowa win the Big Ten championship. Iowa beat Michigan.
This is the Hawkeyes’ first conference title since 2008, when they won the title (20-7, 14-4 Big Ten). Ohio State shared the title.
Iowa’s Monika Czinano scored 19 points. Gabbie Marshall scored 14.
Michigan (22-5 and 13-4) had a chance at winning the title. The Wolverines led by 11 points at the end of the first quarter, and were leading by that number when the Hawkeyes took control.
No. No.
STORRS (Conn.) — Paige Bueckers was able to make her first start since her injury two months ago. Christyn Williams scored 16 in her last regular-season game, leading UConn to a rout against Providence.
Bueckers again played 13 minutes, scoring two points as well as five assists. This was her second game since her left knee injury which kept her sidelined from Dec. 5.
Dorka Juhasz, a graduate transfer, had 14 points as well as 10 rebounds. This was her eighth double-double season. Azzi Fudd had 14 points, Olivia Nelson-Ododa added 13 points and the Huskies were 22-5, 16-1 Big East.
Janai Crooms scored 12 points for Providence
No. 8 LSU 57 No. 16 TENNESSEE 56
KNOXVILLE (Tenn.) — Jailin Chery scored 14 points, and LSU held off a furious comeback by Tennessee in the fourth quarter.
LSU was down eight points at the end of the fourth quarter, and the Lady Vols were down two with 25 seconds remaining. Tamari Key missed a quick jumper with five seconds to go that would have tied it.
Khayla Pointer and Autumn Newby each contributed 12 to the Tigers’ (25-4, 13-2 Southeastern Conference) win that secured them the second seed for next week’s SEC Tournament.
Key scored all 12 of her points for Lady Volunteers, except one (22-7, 11-5).
MISSOURI 78 No. 15 FLORIDA 773
GAINSVILLE (Fla.) — Hayley Frank scored 26 and grabbed 10 rebounds in leading Missouri to an upset over Florida
Frank was 8 of 11 from 3-point range and 5 of 6 from the foul line. She also went scoreless in the first quarter, fouling out with 2:11 to play. In a two-minute burst, Frank scored 10 points in quarter 2, and then had 10 in the third quarter to keep Missouri in the lead.
Izzy Higginbottom also added 15 to the bench for the Tigers (18-11 and 7-9 Southeastern Conference).
Jordyn Merritt scored all 23 of her career-high points in the second quarter, while KiKi Smith scored 13 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter.
No. No.
EAST LANSING (Mich.) — Taylor Mikesell scored 17 and Jacy Sheldon added 13 and 10 assists. No. 17 Ohio State beat Michigan State to win a share in the Big Ten regular-season crown.
Mikesell and Sheldon were both Ohio State players (22-5, 14-4 Big Ten), but they got a boost from the bench that scored 22 points.
Ohio State will be the number one seed in the conference tournament.
Nia Clouden was the Michigan State’s leading scorer with 19 points (14-14, 8-9). She made all 10 of her free throws, but was only 4 for 18.
No. No.
CHAPEL HILL (N.C.) — Anya Poole scored 15 points and Alyssa Utby scored 15. North Carolina beat Duke.
Kennedy Todd-Williams had 14 points for Tar Heels (13-5 ACC, 13-5 ACC). Carlie Littlefield scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Ustby also had eight rebounds. Deja Kelly was North Carolina’s top scorer with 16.3 points per game. He scored two points from 1-for-13 shooting.
Celeste Taylor scored 14 points, while Shayeann day-Wilson scored 11, for the Blue Devils (16-12 and 7-11).
No. No.
WINSTON SALEM (N.C.) — Lorela Cubaj scored 18, grabbed 16 rebounds, and had seven assists. With a win over Wake Forest, 22 Georgia Tech snapped a three-game losing streak.
Cubaj scored nine points during the fourth quarter. This included the winning free throws with just 31.8 seconds remaining. The Yellow Jackets (20-9 and 10-7) were awarded the sixth seed in next week’s Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.
Georgia Tech had not won any game in regulation since February 1st and had lost 5 out of 6. Three of the four previous games were decided in overtime. The Yellow Jackets won 62-45 over the Demon Deacons to open ACC play.
Christina Morra scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Wake Forest (14-15 to 4-15).
No. No.
ATHENS (Ga.) — Jenna Staiti scored 14 points of her 17 in the second period, with 10 in the crucial third. This was enough to win Georgia over Texas A&M.
Staiti’s back-to-back baskets put the Bulldogs on top midway through the third quarter. Another inside basket was added by Staiti to cap an 8-0 run that ended the quarter with a 48-37% lead.
Que Morrison scored half her 14 points for Georgia (20-8 and 8-7 Southeastern Conference), who holds the sixth seed in next week’s league tournament. Morrison scored four points in an 8-0 run that brought the Aggies within five.
Aaliyah Patt scored 15 points for the Aggies (4-14, 4-12), who have lost five of their regular-season games under retired veteran coach Gary Blair.
