Around the NCAAW: Conference tournament thrills

What a week of women’s college hoops! South Carolina, Iowa, USC and Notre Dame all captured conference tournament titles. Catch up on the all tournament thrills and more.

Of course, the calendar turned to March and an already great women’s college basketball season got even better. Catch up on the highlights from Monday, Mar. 4 to Sunday, Mar. 10.

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Conference tournament champs!

The conference tournaments for four of the five Power Five conferences concluded on Sunday. Here’s how South Carolina, Iowa, Notre Dame and USC became the tournament champs of their conferences:

SEC: No. 1-seed South Carolina 79, No. 2-seed LSU 72

Well, this one went a bit off the rails with just over two minutes remaining. With the Gamecocks leading by seven points, 73-67, South Carolina freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley stole the ball from LSU sophomore Flau’jae Johnson, with Johnson responding by intentionally fouling Fulwiley. South Carolina sophomore Ashlyn Watkins approached Johnson and exulted. Johnson shoved Watkins, with South Carolina senior Kamilla Cardoso, the hero of Saturday’s semifinal, then decking Johnson with a demonstrative shove. Chaos temporarily ensued, with benches clearing.

After things finally settled, Cardoso and all players who left the bench areas were ejected. South Carolina was left with six players: Fulwiley, Watkins, sophomore Raven Johnson, junior Bree Hall, junior Sania Feagin and senior Te-Hina Paopao. LSU was down to five: Johnson, freshman Mikaylah Williams, junior Angel Reese, junior Aneesah Morrow and grad Hailey Van Lith. From there, the on-court action was rather anti-climatic, with South Carolina essentially securing the 79-72 win—and the program’s second-straight SEC Tournament title and eighth overall—from the free throw line.

Before the scuffle, which, as South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley emphasized after the game was an understandable, but unacceptable, byproduct of an intense, emotionally-charged contest, the Gamecocks’ depth gave them the edge over the Lady Tigers. Fulwiley, who would be named SEC Tournament MVP, scored a career-high 24 points off the bench to spur South Carolina. Hall, who hit the dagger 3 against the Lady Tigers during the regular season, also came up clutch, hitting a pair of jumpers just before the stoppage. LSU got a pair of double-doubles from Reese and Morrow, with Reese finishing with 15 points and 13 boards and Morrow adding 19 points and 10 boards.

South Carolina will be without Cardoso when they begin the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed, as she will be suspended one game for her disqualification. LSU looks to enter the Big Dance as a No. 2 seed, hoping for improved health from Reese (ankle) and Williams (foot).

Big Ten: No. 2-seed Iowa 94, No. 5-seed Nebraska 89

After an upset-filled Big Ten Tournament, it appeared Nebraska would top off the event with the ultimate upset—again. Earning as much as a 13-point advantage over Iowa, Nebraska was on the verge of the program’s first conference championship.

What happened? Caitlin Clark. The now three-time Big Ten Tournament MVP closed out regulation with a stepback 3, drive and dish to fifth-year senior Kate Martin for 3 and a tough drive and finish. In overtime, Clark drained another clutch stepback triple while also securing a pair of interceptions, including the one that sealed the 94-89 win for the Hawkeyes. Of course, she was not alone in making critical plays. Martin made a trio of clutch 3s. Senior Gabbie Marshall blocked a 3-pointer and deflected a pass. Sophomore Hannah Stuelke rebounded a missed Martin free throw with under 20 seconds remaining, was fouled and got both free throws to fall. A mix of will, want to and execution pushed the Hawkeyes to a third-straight Big Ten Tournament title and, in all likelihood, a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Despite a quiet first half, Clark ended the afternoon with 34 points and 12 assists. Stuelke contributed 25 points and nine boards. Junior Alexis Markowski, who looked poised to power the Huskers to the win with her post scoring, led Nebraska with 21 points and 13 rebounds.

ACC: No. 4-seed Notre Dame 55, No. 3-seed NC State 51

As was the case the last time Notre Dame and NC State met, offense proved elusive. Only 12 total players, six per side, saw on-court action, an encapsulation the game’s grittiness and griminess. But, whereas as the Wolfpack prevailed during the regular season, the Fighting Irish came out ahead when it mattered more, using a 14-8 fourth quarter to get the 55-51 win and the program’s first ACC Tournament title since 2019.

For Notre Dame, junior Maddy Westbeld carried the scoring load for much of the second half, scoring 14 of her 16 points after half time. Then, as the Irish scooted ahead of the Wolfpack, the ball was in Hannah Hidalgo’s hands, with the ACC Freshman of the Year making a pair of go-ahead layups under two and half minutes. She finished the afternoon with 22 points, six boards, six assists and two steals, earning ACC Tournament MVP honors. Left outside of the second top 16 reveal, the Irish, now winners of eight-straight games, surely have sealed a No. 4 seed or better in the NCAA Tournament, meaning Notre Dame should host first- and second-round games in South Bend.

For NC State, senior River Baldwin scored 14 points and junior Aziaha James added 12 points. A No. 3 seed in the second top 16 reveal, the Wolfpack’s trip to the ACC tourney title game should be enough to guarantee them a No. 4 seed or better in the NCAA Tournament.

Pac-12: No. 2-seed USC 74, No. 1-seed Stanford 61

Stanford succeeded in making sure that freshman JuJu Watkins did not again score 51 points. However, they did not succeed in winning the game. Did the self-proclaimed nerds from Palo Alto outsmart themselves? Or, with Watkins contained by the Cardinal defense, did USC’s supporting cast just step up? Let’s go with the latter.

Grad student McKenzie Forbes was masterful for the Trojans, leading USC with 26 points. Junior Rayah Marshall corralled 18 rebounds to go with her 10 points, while senior Kayla Padilla added 13 points. Those efforts, in combination with the attention Watkins attracted even as she struggled her way to a nine points, are why USC won a conference tournament title for the first time in a decade. The Trojans also may have secured themselves a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Cardinal got little offensive contribution beyond the twin tower tandem of senior Cameron Brink and junior Kiki Iriafen; Brink finished with a 19-point and 10-rebound double-double while Iriafen added 18 points and seven boards. Despite the loss, the Cardinal could still sneak a No. 1 seed in the tournament because of their regular-season resume.

March maestros

The past week brought a collection of big-time, box score-stuffing performances, whether in (very) late regular-season games or conference tournament battles. Here’s a shout out to some of the most memorable showings:

• Behind 32 points from senior guard Jada Guinn, Chattanooga defeated UNC-Greensboro 69-60 and captured their second-straight SoCon Tournament title—and a second-straight trip to the Big Dance. Guinn, who played all 40 minutes of the final after a 33-point performance in 37 minutes in the Mocs’ semifinal win over Mercer on Saturday, also won Most Outstanding Player honors.

• Grad guard Jaz Shelley steered Nebraska to the Big Ten Tournament championship game on Saturday, playing the full 40 minutes and finishing with 30 points, nine assists, four boards and two steals in the 78-68 semifinal win over Maryland.

• There’s no shame in losing to No. 1 South Carolina, but Texas A&M senior guard Aicha Coulibaly did her best to prevent another Gamecock victory, dropping a career-high 32 points in the 79-68 defeat on Friday. Coulibaly earned 15 trips to the line, where she converted 13 freebies. She also added six boards and three steals.

• Wofford junior guard Rachael Rose and UNC-Greensboro junior guard Jayde Gamble both shined their SoCon Tournament semifinal matchup on Friday, with the Spartans prevailing over the Terriers, 72-62. Rose, the SoCon Player of the Year and one of five finalists for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award, finished with 32 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Gamble had 28 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals.

• Rutgers junior wing Destiny Adams and Minnesota sophomore guard Amaya Battle dueled in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Battle’s 32 points, seven assists, five boards and zero turnovers helped the Golden Gophers best the Scarlett Knights despite Adams’ monster 31-point and 24-rebound double-double. Her 24 boards are the most ever in a Big Ten Tournament game.

• Harvard junior guard Harmoni Turner closed out the regular season in style with a 24-point and 13-rebound double-double. She added six steals and four assists in a 75-48 blowout of Dartmouth on Tuesday.

• Horizon League Freshman of the Year Carter McCray had a huge 24-point and 19-rebound double-double in Northern Kentucky’s 70-62 win over Oakland on Tuesday. On Thursday, the freshman center posted a 29-point and 14-rebound double as Northern Kentucky came up short against Cleveland State, 88-78.

• Appalachian State senior guard Faith Alston showed out in the second round of the Sun Belt Tournament, dropping a career-high 36 points to lead the Mountaineers past Georgia State, 73-68. Unfortunately, Alston and App State, the No. 9 seed in the tournament, had a rough game against No. 1-seed Marshall in the quarterfinals. The Thundering Herd were on fire, dropping a Sun Belt Conference Tournament-record 116 points behind six players scoring in double figures.

• Coppin State wrapped up their regular season with a 65-45 win over Morgan State on Thursday behind a 30-point and 17-rebound from junior forward Laila Lawrence.

Catching up on conference awards

Congratulations to all the players and coaches who won their conference’s major awards. Here are the Players, Coaches, Freshmen and Defensive Players of the Year from the conferences that have made awards announcements:

Players of the Year:

FGCU’s Emani Jefferson (ASUN), Maine’s Anne Simon (AEC), Tulsa’s Temira Poindexter (AAC), VCU’s Sarah Te-Biasu (A-10), Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley (ACC), Oklahoma’s Skylar Vann and Texas’ Madison Booker (Big 12), UConn’s Paige Bueckers (Big East), Eastern Washington’s Jamie Loera (Big Sky), High Point’s Lauren Bevis (Big South), Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (Big Ten), Long Beach State’s Tori Harris (Big West), Drexel’s Keishana Washington (CAA), Cleveland State’s Colbi Maples (Horizon), Eastern Illinois’ Macy McGlone (OVC), Stanford’s Cameron Brink (Pac-12), BU’s Caitlin Weimar (Patriot), LSU’s Angel Reese (SEC), Wofford’s Rachael Rose (SoCon), South Dakota State’s Brooklyn Meyer (Summit), Marshall’s Abby Beeman (Sun Belt) and Gonzaga’s Yvonne Ejim (WCC).

Coaches of the Year:

Stetson’s Lynn Bria (ASUN), Maine’s Amy Vachon (AEC), North Texas’ Jason Burton (AAC), Richmond’s Aaron Rousell (A-10), Syracuse’s Felisha Legette-Jack (ACC), Oklahoma’s Jennie Baranczyk (Big 12), UConn’s Geno Auriemma (Big East), Eastern Washington’s Joddie Gleason (Big Sky), High Point’s Chelsea Banbury (Big South), Ohio State’s Kevin McGuff (Big Ten), Long Beach State’s Jeff Cammon (Big West), Northeastern’s Bridgette Mitchell (CAA), Cleveland State’s Chris Kielsmeier (Horizon), Southern Indiana’s Rick Stein (OVC), Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer (Pac-12), Loyola Maryland’s Danielle O’Banion (Patriot), South Carolina’s Dawn Staley (SEC), Chattanooga’s Shawn Poppie (SoCon), South Dakota State’s Aaron Johnston (Summit), Marshall’s Kim Caldwell (Sun Belt) and Gonzaga’s Lisa Fortier (WCC).

Freshmen of the Year:

Austin Peay’s La’Nya Foster (ASUN), Bryant’s Mia Mancini (AEC), South Florida’s Vittoria Blasigh (AAC), Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo (ACC), Texas’ Madison Booker (Big 12), UConn’s Ashlynn Shade (Big East), Sacramento State’s Summah Hanson (Big Sky), Gardner-Webb’s Anaya Harris (Big South), Purdue’s Mary Ashley Stevenson (Big Ten), UC Davis’ Megan Norris (Big West), Elon’s Raven Preston (CAA), Northern Kentucky’s Carter McCray (Horizon), Western Illinois’ Raegan McCowan (OVC), USC’s JuJu Watkins (Pac-12), Navy’s Zanai Barnett-Gay (Patriot), LSU’s Mikaylah Williams (SEC), Samford’s Kennedy Langham and Wofford’s Evangelia Paulk (SoCon), Oral Roberts’ Emily Robinson (Summit), Georgia State’s Crystal Henderson (Sun Belt) and Saint Mary’s’ Zeryhia Aokuso (WCC).

Defensive Players of the Year:

FGCU’s Emani Jefferson (ASUN), Maine’s Anne Simon (AEC), East Carolina’s Danae McNeal (AAC), Richmond’s Addie Budnik (A-10), Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo (ACC), West Virginia’s JJ Quinerly (Big 12), Georgetown’s Kelsey Ransom and Villanova’s Christina Dalce (Big East), Eastern Washington’s Jamie Loera (Big Sky), USC Upstate’s Trinity Johnson (Big South), Ohio State’s Celeste Taylor and Wisconsin’s Serah Williams (Big Ten), Long Beach State’s Kristyna Jeskeova (Big West), Elon’s Kylie Kornegay-Lucas (CAA), Cleveland State’s Carmen Villalobos (Horizon), Eastern Illinois’ Macy McGlone (OVC), Stanford’s Cameron Brink (Pac-12), BU’s Caitlin Weimar (Patriot), South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso (SEC), UNCG’s Ayanna Khalfani (SoCon), South Dakota State’s Brooklyn Meyer (Summit), Old Dominion’s Kaye Clark (Sun Belt) and Gonzaga’s Yvonne Ejim (WCC).

More regular season conference champs!

All regular season conference champions have been crowned. Congrats to the following programs: Tulsa and North Texas (AAC), Hawaii (Big West), Stony Brook (CAA), Princeton (Ivy), Toledo (MAC), Norfolk State (MEAC), Holy Cross (Patriot), Jackson State (SWC) and California Baptist (WAC).

A look ahead

Conference tournament action continues, beginning with the Big East Tournament title game between the No. 1-seed UConn Huskies and No. 6-seed Georgetown on Monday (7 p.m. ET, FS1). The Big 12 Tournament semifinals, featuring the No. 4-seed Iowa State Cyclones vs. No. 1-seed Oklahoma Sooners (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2) and the No. 3-seed Kansas State Wildcats vs. No. 2-seed Texas Longhorns (5 p.m. ET, ESPN2), are on Monday, followed by the championship game on Tuesday. Mid-major tournaments also pack the calendar ahead of Selection Sunday.