Facing a slow start, Caitlin Clark managed to tally 34 points on Sunday, propelling Number 3 Iowa to a 94-89 overtime win over Nebraska to seize the Big Ten Conference tournament title in Minneapolis.
Clark, who had a mere four points by halftime and missed all nine of her 3-point attempts, found her rhythm later on. She exploded for 30 points in the second half and overtime, including a crucial 3-pointer with 51 seconds remaining in the extra period that secured the victory for the second-seeded Hawkeyes.
Iowa (29-4) secured its third straight Big Ten tournament crown. Clark put the exclamation point on the win with a steal, sprinting down the court before joyfully tossing the ball high into the stands as the buzzer sounded.
Alexis Markowski led fifth-seeded Nebraska (22-11) with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Natalie Potts contributed 21 points before fouling out for the Cornhuskers.
No. 1 South Carolina 79, No. 8 LSU 72
MiLaysia Fulwiley drained four 3-pointers and totaled 24 points as the Gamecocks bested the Tigers to claim the Southeastern Conference championship in Greenville, S.C.
Te-Hina Paopao chipped in 12 points, while Ashlyn Watkins swatted away five shots for South Carolina (32-0), who emerged victorious in a contest marked by a late-game bench-clearing incident.
Aneesah Morrow notched 19 points, 10 rebounds, and four steals for LSU (28-5). Angel Reese contributed 15 points and 13 boards, Hailey Van Lith added 14 points, and Johnson scored 13.
No. 5 Southern California 74, No. 2 Stanford 61
McKenzie Forbes poured in 26 points as the Trojans maintained the lead for the majority of the game against the Cardinal in the Pac-12 Conference tournament final in Las Vegas.
Kayla Padilla contributed 13 points, and Rayah Marshall delivered 10 points and grabbed 18 rebounds for Southern Cal (26-5), the second seed in the tournament, capturing their second Pac-12 tournament victory since 2014. Despite freshman standout JuJu Watkins only scoring nine points, the Trojans secured the win.
Cameron Brink posted 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Kiki Iriafen added 18 points for top-seeded Stanford (28-5), who struggled on the boards. Southern California dominated with 18 offensive rebounds and held a commanding 48-28 advantage overall.
No. 9 UConn 58, Marquette 29
Paige Bueckers exploded for 27 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, four blocks, and three steals as the Huskies stifled the Golden Eagles in a Big East tournament semifinal in Uncasville, Conn.
Top-seeded UConn (28-5) held a 31-20 lead at halftime thanks to Bueckers’ 11 points and nine rebounds, and they never looked back.
Fifth-seeded Marquette (23-8) went scoreless in the final quarter, missing all 13 field goal attempts, and shot a dismal 18.2 percent in the second half. Liza Karlen paced the Golden Eagles with 12 points and nine rebounds.
No. 14 Notre Dame 55, No. 10 North Carolina State 51
Hannah Hidalgo‘s 22-point performance guided the Fighting Irish to a triumph over the Wolfpack in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament final in Greensboro, N.C.
Hidalgo also dished out six assists, grabbed six rebounds, and recorded two steals as fourth-seeded Notre Dame (26-6) secured its first ACC tournament championship since 2019 and its sixth since joining the conference in 2013. The win made Fighting Irish coach Niele Ivey the first Black woman to clinch the ACC tournament title.
River Baldwin led second-seeded North Carolina State (27-6) with 14 points, while Aziaha James contributed 12 points, six rebounds, and a team-leading five assists.
Georgetown 55, No. 21 Creighton 46
Kelsey Ransom orchestrated 14 points, six assists, and three steals, while Alex Cowan added 12 points as the Hoyas upset the Bluejays in the Big East Conference tournament semifinal in Uncasville, Conn.
Georgetown (22-10) shot at a 38.5 percent clip and committed 14 turnovers, but the second-seeded Bluejays (25-5) struggled, shooting only 26.3 percent from the field and turning the ball over 10 times. The sixth-seeded Hoyas dominated the glass with a 43-28 rebounding margin.
Morgan Maly finished with 14 points, the sole player in double figures for Creighton, and also grabbed six rebounds.
