Winners and losers from women’s hoops ‘Super Sunday’: UConn stays perfect, big wins for Texas and Michigan
Sunday was a big day for women’s hoops: 20 of the AP Top 25 teams played and seven games were played between ranked opponents. It was so good we nicknamed it “Great Sunday” in the build-up, and the day certainly lived up to that nickname. We had upsets, historic performances, a rivalry game settled in overtime and even a Vic Schaefer jacket toss.
If you missed any, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are the winners and losers of the February 1 action:
Winner: UConn’s winning streak
The No. 1 Huskies remain undefeated with a perfect 23-0 record thanks to a 96-66 victory over No. 15 Tennessee. This one was especially important because the Lady Vols were their final non-conference opponents and the toughest challenge remaining on their schedule.
Tennessee gave UConn a battle in the first half. After a slow start, the Lady Vols fought back and led 40-36 going into the break. It was the first time the Huskies trailed in the second quarter of the season.
While there’s no guarantee UConn will go undefeated in Big East play, no team in the conference appears, at least on paper, to be able to challenge Geno Auriemma’s team. The Huskies have a target on their back, but this result should give them an extra confidence boost.
UConn is currently on a 39-game winning streak, but its last loss came against Tennessee last year. Azzi Fudd said she was “angry, frustrated, embarrassed” about her own performance in that loss, which included three turnovers, three personal fouls and just three field goals. Things were very different this time. Fudd had 27 points on 11 of 17 shooting from the field, including five 3-pointers. She also had seven rebounds, seven assists, seven steals and even a block. –Isabel González
Loser: Tennessee second half
The Lady Vols beat UConn last year, then put the Huskies on alert in the first half of Sunday’s game. This effort would have made Tennessee a winner, even if it ended in a close loss. However, it turned into a 30-point loss, representing the largest margin of victory in series history. UConn now leads the series 18-10 since 1995, which includes winning five of the last six matchups.
Things started to go wrong midway through the third quarter. Tennessee remained scoreless in the final 4:45 of the period while UConn went on a 14-0 run. The Lady Vols were unable to regain their momentum and have now lost two straight games. UConn is the toughest opponent in the country, but Tennessee has really struggled to take care of the ball. By the end of the night, Kim Caldwell’s team had given up 36 points on 20 turnovers. — Isabelle Gonzalez
Winner: Michigan-Michigan State Rivalry
Technically, No. 13 Michigan State lost this game in overtime to No. 9 Michigan, 94-91, but it felt like one of those games that raised everyone’s profile. After all, IInés Sotelo was inches away from winning for the Spartans at the buzzer, but his half-court heave came and went.
It was a phenomenal match with a total of 17 lead changes and 13 ties. Both teams shot well – the Wolverines were 57% from the field and 41% from the field, while the Spartans shot 51% and 46%. Michigan’s largest lead was eight points, Michigan State’s largest lead was four points, and it was a one-possession game after each period. Mila Holloway led the way for Michigan with a career-high 26 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Jaylen Brown and Kennedy Blair both had 21 points for the Spartans, with Blair adding 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals.
As I mentioned in my preview, this was the first time in history that a Michigan vs. Michigan State women’s basketball game was played when both teams were ranked in the top 15. Games like this will go a long way in turning this regional rivalry into a national attraction and raising the profile of women’s basketball inside and outside the state. And the best news of all? There’s a rematch in two weeks. — Lindsay Gibbs
Loser: Clarity in the Big 12
On the way to Sunday, one of my the biggest questions was who would take over the Big 12. With the two teams tied for first place at the conference lead, No. 12 TCU and No. 14 Baylor, facing off against the teams right behind them in the standings, No. 21 Texas Tech and No. 22 West Virginia, it seemed like either Baylor and TCU would separate themselves from the pack or one of them would finally get a spot at the top. Instead, West Virginia upset Baylor 70-60 and Texas Tech upset TCU 62-60, and now the Big 12 is a bigger question mark than ever. Baylor and TCU are still tied for first, but neither can feel confident right now.
West Virginia made Baylor uncomfortable from the first end, and the Mountaineers ended up scoring 38 points off a staggering 30 Baylor turnovers. The Mountaineers also outscored the Bears 36-8 in the paint. TCU, meanwhile, lost the game at the boards and at the free throw line; Texas Tech outscored the Horned Frogs 46-34 and finished 13 of 17 from the stripe, compared to Baylor’s 3 of 5. Lindsay Gibbs
Winner: Snudda Collins of Texas Tech
Of all the big wins today, I’m probably most impressed with Texas Tech’s performance in their upset of TCU. The Red Raiders started the season with a historic 19-0 mark, but came into Sunday having lost three of their last four games, and it was tempting to view them as a feel-good story early in the season. But by knocking off TCU, Texas Tech proved there was no fluke in its start and remained in contention for a top-16 spot.
And the biggest reason Texas Tech’s memorable season is back on track is senior guard Snudda Collins, who matched her career high with 28 points Sunday, including a crucial 3-pointer with just 32 seconds left to give the Red Raiders a 57-55 lead. Collins also had 28 points in Texas Tech’s rout of Utah last week, meaning that just when his team started to slide, Collins started playing the best basketball of his career. — Lindsay Gibbs
Loser: Iowa’s painting prowess
The No. 8 Hawkeyes are generally not a bad team near the rim. In fact, they outscored Ohio State in this area 42-14 in their most recent victory. However, the situation turned around in their 88-65 loss to No. 2 UCLA. Iowa just didn’t have an answer in this area and the Bruins certainly took advantage. By the end of the third quarter, UCLA had scored more points in the paint than Iowa had scored in total. After 40 minutes, the Bruins had crushed the battle in the paint 56-26.
When asked what made it so difficult for Iowa, Hannah Stuelke pointed to the size and defense of UCLA center Lauren Betts.
“I think they’re really good inside,” she said. “Obviously Lauren Betts is 6-foot-7 and it’s hard to score at 6-foot-7.”
As for Iowa coach Jan Jensen, she said Betts, who scored 16 points, knows how to make good decisions on offense.
“A double team can’t really, I don’t think, slow Betts down that much. Because I don’t think she forces anything unwise against the double. She squares up and then she throws it to (Gianna Kneepkens). So do you want to give up two or do you want her to throw it for three?” — Isabelle Gonzalez
Winner: LSU’s historic offense
After an 0-2 start in SEC play, the No. 6 LSU Tigers have now won seven straight games, and they made a statement with their 103-63 victory over No. 24 Alabama. It was the 12th time this season that LSU reached the 100-point mark, which is the most of any Division I team in the last 25 seasons.
It was a complete team effort with eight players scoring at least eight points. Jada Richard led the way with 16 points while shooting a perfect 5 of 5 from the field, including three 3-pointers. The game started out close, but the second quarter was key for LSU to start pulling away. The Tigers forced eight turnovers as Mikaylah Williams scored 11 of her 15 total points in those ten minutes. They found a 49-29 halftime lead and never let up.
The Tigers’ bench leads the nation in scoring, and they continued as usual on Sunday with a total of 47 points. ZaKiyah Johnson had 15, while MiLaysia Fulwiley contributed 10. — Isabelle Gonzalez
Loser: the peloton’s hopes for a No. 1 seed
One of the most anticipated games of the day was the SEC showdown between No. 4 Texas and No. 10 Oklahoma, but even though the final score — 78-70, Texas — didn’t seem that lopsided, it still felt like the Longhorns were in total control of the game. Madison Booker and Rori Harmon both played well, and most notably, they had help from their supporting cast: Justice Carleton had 16 points and eight rebounds, Jordan Lee added 14 points and Aaliyah Crump added 12 from the bench. Meanwhile, Oklahoma star freshman Aaliyah Chavez was held to just 11 points on 3-of-13 from the field.
Throughout the year, last year’s Final Four teams – UConn, South Carolina, UCLA and Texas – have been in the top four in the rankings. After Texas suffered losses to LSU and South Carolina, I felt like they needed a win over the Sooners to avoid falling behind the pack. That’s exactly what the Longhorns accomplished on Sunday. And when you combine that with UCLA and UConn’s dominant wins, it seems increasingly unlikely that these four teams will be moved to the No. 1 seed line. There’s a lot of basketball left to be played, and a #1 seed doesn’t guarantee anything, but I’d feel safe entering them.
