Indiana rallies for Big Ten home victory over Iowa
BLOOMINGTON, Indiana, March 4, (AP): Grace Berger, Mackenzie Holmes, and Ali Patberg each scored 22 points as 10th-ranked Indiana rallied from a seven-point deficit in the third quarter for an 89-80 Big Ten home victory over Iowa.
The Hoosiers (17-4, 15-2 Big Ten) pulled to within a half-game of No. 8 Maryland (19-2, 15-1) for the regularseason conference crown. Indiana has one game remaining while the Terrapins have two.
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Iowa freshman guard Caitlin Clark, the nation’s second-leading scorer at 26.9 points per game, led all scorers with 32 points before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. Manika Czinano added 20 points for the Hawkeyes (148, 10-8).
Berger scored eight of her points in the pivotal third quarter, when Indiana outscored Iowa 27-16. That’s when Indiana clamped down defensively on Iowa’s one-two punch as Clark had just four shots and Czinano missed five-of-seven shots.
W. Virginia 72, Kansas St 64
In Manhattan, Kansas, Esmery Martinez scored 23 points on 11-of-15 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds to help No. 20 West Virginia beat Kansas State.
Kysre Gondrezick added 14 points, Kirsten Deans and 13 points and nine assists, and Jasmine Carson scored 11 points for West Virginia (19-4, 13-4 Big 12).
Kansas State (8-16, 3-14) scored 10 consecutive points to take its first lead at 20-19 with 49 seconds left in the first quarter, but Martinez answered with a layup 30 seconds later and the Mountaineers led the rest of the way. Washington 68, Colorado 54
In Las Vegas, Freshman Tameiya Sadler had 18 points and a season-high eight assists, Ashley Van Dyke also scored 18 points, and the No. 11 seed Washington women beat Colorado in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament.
Quay Miller and Alexis Griggsby added 11 points apiece for Washington (7-13). The Huskies made 25 of 46 (54.3%) overall and shot a season-high 55% (11 of 20) from 3-point range.
Frida Formann and Mya Hollingshed scored 16 points apiece for Colorado (10-10).
USC 71, ASU 65
In Las Vegas, Jordyn Jenkins scored a career-high 16 points, Endyia Rogers added 15 points and dished off a career-high 11 assists and eighth-seeded usc defeated ninth-seeded Arizona State in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament.
Jordan Sanders scored 14 points for usc, with the three top scorers combining to make 20 of 25 shots to help the Trojans shoot 65% (30 of 46). They were 7 of 14 from 3-point range.
Wash. State 57, Utah 48
In Las Vegas, Freshman Charlisse Leger-Walker scored 15 points, Bella Murekatete added 13 points and 12 rebounds, and seventh-seeded Washington State beat No. 10 seed Utah in the first round of the Pac-12 Conference tournament.
Leger-Walker was just 3 of 16 from the field but made 7 of 8 free throws. Senior Krystal Leger-Walker added 12 points. The sisters each had eight rebounds and two 3-pointers.
Florida 69, Auburn 62
In Greenville, S.C., Kiki Smith scored 19 points, Danielle Rainey added 13 and 12th-seeded Florida opened the Southeastern Conference tournament with a win over 13th-seeded Auburn after blowing an 18-point third quarter lead.
Kristina Moore then hit a 3-pointer and Rainey two more as the Gators scored 12 straight for a 66-57 lead with 3:51 to go and that was enough.Moore finished with 11 points for the Gators (11-11), who ended a four-game losing streak. Smith also reach 1,002 points for her career.
Alaina Rice led Auburn (5-19), which lost its 17th straight, with 15 points. Unique Thompson scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for her 58th career double-double, seventh in SEC history. Honesty Scott-Grayson added 12 points.
BC 67, Pittsburgh 56
In Greensboro, N.C., Cameron Swartz scored a career-high 33 points and 13th-seeded Boston College opened the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament with a win over 12th-seeded Pittsburgh.
Jayla Everett scored 22 points for Pitt (5-14), which finish with a five-game losing streak since beating BC 83-80. Amber Brown added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Panthers, who shot 33% and had 22 turnovers.
Oregon St 71, California 63,
In Las Vegas, Taylor Jones had 17 points and 13 rebounds and Oregon State moved on in the Pac-12 tournament with a opening-round victory over California.
Talia von Oelhoffen had a careerhigh 20 points for fifth-seeded Oregon State (11-6), which has won four straight and seven of its last eight.
Leilani McIntosh had 14 points to lead No. 12 seed Cal (1-16), which trailed by as many as 15 points but threatened late. Evelien Lutje Schiphol added 13 points and 10 rebounds and Ugonne Onyiah scored 13.