Four Biggest Takeaways From Big 12 Women’s First Round NCAA Tournament Games
Here are four takeaways from Big 12 Conference women’s NCAA Tournament basketball games on Friday, as four of the league’s teams were in action.
So what happened? The Big 12 swept the day, and while three teams won with relative ease, the fourth put on one of the biggest comebacks in the history of the NCAA Tournament.
Here are four thoughts on the day.
IOWA STATE’S HISTORIC COMEBACK
The Iowa State-Maryland game had everything.
Audi Crooks with a career-high 40 points for Iowa State on 18-of-20 shooting? Check the box.
Maryland’s Allie Kubek with a career-high 29 points off the bench? Check the box.
The second-biggest comeback in NCAA Tournament history? Check the box.
Iowa State looked done down 20 points. The Cyclones were down 16 at halftime. So what happened? Crooks told ESPN that coach Bill Fennelly told them this:
“If this is how you want to go out, that’s up to you.”
Iowa State scored 30 points in the third quarter, outscored Maryland by 16 points and, well, tied the game. The Cyclones went on to win, 93-86.
Crooks had a double-double with 12 rebounds and tied Brittney Griner’s Big 12 scoring record for a single NCAA Tournament game. Emily Ryan had her own double-double — 18 points and 14 assists. Kelsey Joens had 12 points off the bench and Hannah Belanger added 10.
But this game is going to live in Iowa State’s memory banks for a while. It was like Hilton Magic went on a road trip to Palo Alto and went crazy.
TEXAS ROLLS
The first-round matchup between No.1 seed Texas and No. 16 Drexel in Austin should not have been close, and it wasn’t, as the No. 1-seeded Longhorns won by 40 points, 82-42. Texas dominated the middle of this game, outscoring Drexel 21-8 in the second quarter and 34-12 in the third quarter. That was more than enough for Texas to take the win.
Texas had five different players in double figures, led by Shaylee Gonzales, who had 21 points. Of particular note, Texas shot 50% from the 3-point line, something the Longhorns don’t always do well. Texas also scored 28 points off of turnovers.
Perhaps the best thing for Texas is that it were able to play 10 different players at least 10 minutes. As the Longhorns prepare for what they hope is a long NCAA Tournament run, getting starters any kind of rest will help.
KANSAS STATE STARTS HOT
Kansas State was the other Big 12 team enjoying a homecourt advantage as the No. 4-seeded Wildcats hosted a sub-regional at Bramlage Coliseum.
The Wildcats beat Portland, 78-65, as Kansas State built a 15-point lead in the first quarter and never looked back. In fact, the Pilots only outscored the Wildcats by two points in the final three quarters. So the Wildcats’ lead was never really threatened.
Gabby Gregory had a huge game for Kansas State, scoring 22 points. When you consider the amount of attention defenses will pay to center Ayoka Lee, who had 21 points and nine rebounds, having Gregory firing bodes well for Kansas State.
The Wildcats were able to play four off their bench and they did not seem to struggle with more than a week off since its last Big 12 Tournament game.
BAYLOR’S BIG THIRD QUARTER
Baylor’s 80-63 win over Vanderbilt came down to a brilliant third quarter where the Bears outscored the Commodores, 28-15. That finished off Vanderbilt, which won a First Four game for the right to play the Bears. Baylor now plays Virginia Tech on Sunday.
Bella Fontleroy had a huge game for Baylor, as she finished with a double-double, scoring 19 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Coach Nicki Collen had to be happy with how her team shot and rebounded against Vandy. Baylor will need that carryover against the Hokies, who are without forward Elizabeth Kitley, who is out for the season with a torn ACL.
Baylor is seeking its first Sweet 16 berth in three seasons under Collen.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
