Women’s Top 25 Roundup: Oklahoma Secures Second Consecutive Big 12 Title

Big 12 Champion Crowned | Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners

Big 12 Champion Crowned | Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners | Image: ESPN/YouTube

Lexy Keys hit a crucial 3-pointer in the final moments, leading No. 20 Oklahoma to a 71-70 victory over No. 3 Texas in Norman, Oklahoma. This win ensured the Sooners grabbed their second successive Big 12 regular-season championship.

In a tense match, Keys sealed the deal for the Sooners (21-7, 15-2 Big 12) after Skylar Vann retrieved her missed shot and set up Keys for the game-winning shot from the left wing. The Longhorns (26-4, 13-4) failed to convert on their final possession, breaking their eight-game winning streak.

Keys contributed 16 points, following closely behind Payton Verhulst‘s 18, as Vann added six points and six rebounds for Oklahoma. Nevaeh Tot‘s impressive performance included seven points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, crucial in the Sooners’ comeback from a 27-12 deficit in the second quarter.

For Texas, Madison Booker led with 26 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Shaylee Gonzales and Taylor Jones chipped in with 10 points each in what marked the last regular-season matchup between the Longhorns and Oklahoma. Both teams are set to transition to the Southeastern Conference in the upcoming season.

No. 2 Ohio State 67, Michigan 51

Jacy Sheldon showcased a stellar performance with 22 points and three steals, propelling the Buckeyes to a win over the Wolverines and securing the Big Ten regular-season title outright in Columbus, Ohio.

Sheldon’s four 3-pointers were instrumental for Ohio State, while Cotie McMahon‘s 18-point, seven-rebound effort supported the Buckeyes’ 15th consecutive win. Ohio State’s only recent defeat traces back to a 69-60 loss against Michigan on December 30.

Leading the Wolverines, Laila Phelia scored 13 points but struggled as Michigan committed a season-high 29 turnovers. Jordan Hobbs added 11 points, and Elissa Brett contributed eight points and seven rebounds as Michigan faced their third loss in four games.

No. 10 UConn 67, Villanova 46

Paige Bueckers delivered an outstanding performance with 31 points, while Aaliyah Edwards recorded a double-double, aiding the Huskies in concluding their regular-season home games with a win over the Wildcats in Storrs, Connecticut.

Bueckers’ 11-of-15 shooting along with perfect free throws and Edwards’ 14 points, 11 rebounds, and four steals were pivotal for UConn (25-5, 17-0 Big East), who finished with a 13-1 record at home this season.

Kaitlyn Orihel tallied 15 points, and Zanai Jones contributed 10 for the Wildcats (17-11, 10-7), with Lucy Olsen facing a tough night offensively. UConn effectively contained Olsen, the Big East’s top scorer with 23.6 points per game, holding her to a season-low six points on 2-of-16 shooting.

Iowa State 82, No. 15 Kansas State 76

Addy Brown‘s remarkable 24 points and 11 rebounds led the Cyclones past the struggling Wildcats in Manhattan, Kansas.

Iowa State (17-10, 11-6 Big 12) also received significant contributions from Audi Crooks, who scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and Emily Ryan, who added 11 points and nine assists. The Cyclones’ strong shooting at 50% from the field and dominant rebounding (47-30) ensured a sweep in the two-game regular-season series.

Although Ayoka Lee‘s 20 points and eight rebounds were noteworthy for the Wildcats (23-6, 12-5), it was insufficient as Kansas State suffered their second consecutive loss and fifth in the last eight games after starting the season 20-1.

Serena Sundell and Jaelyn Glenn each contributed 15 points in the defeat, with Sundell also distributing a game-high 10 assists

  1. College Sports News

    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

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  2. College Sports News

    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

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  3. College Sports News

    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

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