NCAA ladies’s basketball: Winners and losers from regular-season finales

Sunday was the final day of the ladies’s basketball common season for all the most important conferences and there was not a scarcity of motion. There are clear winners and losers on the scoreboard, however we determined to take a deeper have a look at a few of the main moments and potential postseason implications. 

From clutch performs to groups collapsing on the finish of the common season, March 1 had a little bit little bit of every thing. Maybe a preview of the insanity but to return? Here’s a nearer have a look at the motion. 

Winner: Hannah Hidalgo’s late-game steal

Hidalgo made doubtlessly her greatest play of the common season when she stole the ball from No. 10 Louisville with beneath 20 seconds remaining within the sport. Notre Dame held a 63-62 benefit at that time. She might have gone for the layup however as a substitute selected to attract a foul. That steal helped her break her personal ACC single-season document for steals with a complete of 162 (and counting).

She made two key free throws with 9 seconds remaining and acquired the defensive rebound when the Cardinals had been making an attempt to go for a game-tying 3-pointer because the clock was working out. Hidalgo completed the day with 20 factors, 10 rebounds and 7 assists whereas exhibiting Notre Dame shouldn’t be neglected in March. The Preventing Irish have been struggling throughout this rebuilding season, however Hidalgo is making a severe case to as soon as once more be named ACC Defensive Participant of the Yr. –Isabel Gonzalez

Loser: Ole Miss’s hopes for internet hosting in March

No. 19 Ole Miss seemed like a possible NCAA Event host just a few weeks in the past and even pulled off an announcement win over No. 5 Vanderbilt in January. Nonetheless, the Rebels have misplaced six of their final eight video games and can end the common season with 4 consecutive losses. Getting upset 66-58 by Texas A&M on Sunday reveals their have to regroup forward of the SEC Event. 

The Rebels misplaced the primary quarter 13-23 and by no means actually acquired going offensively. Cotie McMahon scored 19 factors, however as a staff, the Rebels went 22 of 68 from the sector. Accidents have been affecting the staff as of late, and Yolett McPhee-McCuin mentioned the absence of starter Sira Thienou was felt on Sunday. Nonetheless, she has not misplaced confidence in her staff.

“Half glass full, I may very well be in one other state of affairs and this may very well be the top of our season. We go to Greenville and every thing is over. I simply know that is not the case,” McPhee-McCuin mentioned postgame. “I’ll sound naive, however I simply consider on this staff and I consider once we are at full energy, we’re a tricky out. We have proven that. Proper now, that is not our state of affairs. 

“As a coach, I’ve to determine the way to be higher for them and extra artistic. The 23-point first quarter simply utterly took us out. We haven’t any room for error like that. We will not recuperate, we do not have the our bodies and we do not have the expertise to recuperate.” –Isabel Gonzalez

Winner: North Carolina’s free-throw capturing

Free-throw capturing, particularly late in necessary video games, has been a little bit of an Achilles’ heel for North Carolina this season; the staff ranks 266th within the nation in free throw share, 321st in free throw makes an attempt and 336th in free throws made per sport. (For context, the NCAA ranks 359 groups in these classes.)

And free throws have been a giant story in North Carolina’s three ACC losses this 12 months. Within the sport towards Louisville, the Tar Heels missed their final 4 free throws – together with two that will have all however sealed the sport with 5 seconds remaining.

In opposition to Stanford, they missed 4 free throws within the fourth quarter of an extra time loss and had been solely 18-30 for the sport. And towards Duke a few weeks in the past, they infamously did not shoot a single free throw the complete sport.

However on Sunday, No. 21 North Carolina upset No. 12 Duke 74-69, and this time, free throws had been a giant cause why they gained. The Tar Heels had been 20 of 27 for the sport and 15 of 18 – 83.3% – within the fourth. They acquired to the road typically and made photographs once they did, particularly when it mattered essentially the most.

This win will go a great distance in direction of serving to them nab a top-four seed within the NCAA event, and as winners of 12 of their final 13, Courtney Banghart’s staff is peaking on the proper time. — Lindsay Gibbs

Loser: Baylor’s 15-point half

The No. 18 Baylor Bears solely managed seven factors within the first quarter and eight within the second throughout their season finale towards No. 11 TCU. They had been extra aggressive after the break however could not do sufficient to beat that devastating first half and finally misplaced 65-53. That outcome meant getting swept by their rivals and shedding a share of the Large 12 regular-season title. The Horned Frogs have now gained their final 5 encounters. 

Baylor’s 15 factors after the primary two quarters additionally tied the least quantity of factors the Bears have ever scored in a primary half towards a Large 12 opponent. The final time it occurred was in 2010 towards Oklahoma.

Taliah Scott led Baylor with 17 factors, however the ball wasn’t getting in for her firstly of the sport as she missed her first 11 makes an attempt and solely scored two factors within the first half. Fifty-three factors was a season low for the Bears, however coach Nicki Collen tried to take a look at the positives and reminded her staff postgame that there’s nonetheless extra basketball left to play.

“I am pleased with the way in which we competed,” the coach mentioned. “I believed we confirmed some stuff within the second half that we’ve not executed all season that we will construct on, that is a little bit bit totally different, that may trouble individuals. We rattled them for a bit and that was good to see… we gotta do some bit extra of that.” –Isabel Gonzalez

Winner: The ACC Event

All season lengthy, I have been fairly robust on the ACC – the primary couple of months, just about each staff was underperforming, after which for many of January and February, it seemed like Duke and Louisville had been head and shoulders above the remainder of the convention.

However goodness did the final week shake issues. On Sunday, Duke misplaced to North Carolina and No. 10 Louisville was upset by Notre Dame. Final Sunday, Clemson upset Duke whereas Virginia took down Louisville. Duke and Louisville are nonetheless rightly the highest seeds within the event, however look removed from invincible. In the meantime, as mentioned above, the Tar Heels are surging, NC State has the firepower to take down anybody and counting out any staff with Hannah Hidalgo feels silly.

Plus, 4 groups which have been in and across the bubble – Clemson, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Stanford – all have large motivation to spice up their resumes earlier than the NCAA event, and even groups which can be just about out of the NCAA event image, similar to Cal and Georgia Tech, completed the season sturdy on Sunday.

The 2026 ACC event will probably be held in Duluth, Georgia this 12 months. This would be the first time since 2000 that the ACC event will happen at a venue apart from the Greensboro Coliseum, the primary time since 1997 it has taken place exterior of North Carolina and the primary time since 1980 – simply the third 12 months of the event’s existence – that it’ll happen exterior of North or South Carolina. And it seems like Georgia is getting one this 12 months. – Lindsay Gibbs

Loser: Readability for bubble groups

Heading into the weekend, CBS Sports activities bracketologist Connor Groel gave us a have a look at his 12 groups on the bubble. I believed it will be enjoyable to take a look at how these groups carried out of their last regular-season video games.

Final 4 In:

• Virginia (misplaced to Virginia Tech, 83-82)
• Virginia Tech (beat Virginia, 83-82)
• Colorado (misplaced to BYU, 75-62)
• South Dakota State (beat South Dakota, 82-49)

First 4 Out: 

• Arizona State (misplaced to No. 20 Texas Tech, 58-51)
• Richmond (beat Saint Joseph’s, 72-61)
• Mississippi State (misplaced to No. 6 LSU, 72-63)
• Stanford (beat Clemson 85-50)

Subsequent 4 Out: 

• Kansas (misplaced to Oklahoma State, 70-56)
• BYU (beat Colorado, 75-62)
• Utah (beat Arizona, 81-67)
• Texas A&M (beat No. 19 Ole Miss, 66-58)

There isn’t a rhyme or cause to any of this. It’s pure insanity, particularly while you think about that Clemson, whom Groel put in a play-in sport towards Colorado on the No. 10-seed line in his Feb. 24 bracketology, had one of the vital lopsided losses of the day to Stanford.

Groel additionally mentioned that the winner of Virginia vs. Virginia Tech needs to be comfy, however contemplating that it was only a one-point sport, it does not appear like any bubble staff actually put themselves able to breathe simply heading into convention tournaments. –Lindsay Gibbs

Winner: The Cambridge sisters

No. 13 Ohio State took an 87-68 victory over Large Ten rivals, No. 15  Michigan State, on Sunday. Jaloni Cambridge scored 33 factors in a efficiency that included seven 3-pointers, which absolutely helps her case for convention Participant of the Yr. In the meantime, her sister Kennedy continued making her case for Defensive Participant of the Yr. Her 5 steals towards Michigan State helped her break the Ohio State all-time document for steals in a single season.

It was additionally an amazing day for the Buckeyes as an entire. The Buckeyes broke their single-game college document with 18 made 3-pointers, seven of these belonging to Probability Grey. 

The Buckeyes had been the No. 16 general seed within the newest NCAA reveal earlier within the day, and the win over No. 14 seed Michigan State ought to make them really feel extra assured about their probabilities at internet hosting in the course of the NCAA Event. –Isabel Gonzalez

Loser: Tennessee’s third-quarter performances

The Woman Vols had a chance to finish their common season with an announcement win over No. 5 Vanderbilt once they entered halftime with a 43-37 benefit. Nonetheless, they misplaced the third quarter 15-30, and that shift in momentum led to a 87-75 win for the Commodores.

Tennessee is now on a six-game shedding streak, which ties their longest shedding streak over the past 15 seasons. The Woman Vols misplaced the third quarter of every of these video games.

“It is one thing we have been addressing,” head coach Kim Caldwell mentioned postgame. “We have been addressing it. We have tried to vary up who goes again out on he courtroom once we begin the third quarter. We have addressed it for, I do not know, for a pair video games now. Perhaps longer.” –Isabel Gonzalez