Late layup allows Sooners to escape
TOP 25/BIG 12 WOMEN
NO. 14 OKLAHOMA 77, TCU 76
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Skylar Vann scored 21 points, including the game-winning layup with 2.2 seconds left and 14thranked Oklahoma avoided possibly the biggest upset in Big 12 Tournament history with a 77-76 win over TCU in the quarterfinals on Friday night.
The Horned Frogs appeared poised to be the first 10th-seed to ever beat a twoseed when Lucy Ibeh scored inside with 4.8 seconds to play. But after a timeout, Taylor Robertson threw a deep inbounds pass to Vann, who was set up on the right side of the lane, and she spun to her right and went across the lane for the basket.
Robertson made 5-of-6 three-pointers and scored 17 points for the Sooners (255). Aubrey Joens came off the bench to score 15 points, going 3 of 5 behind the arc. Madi Williams, who injured a knee in the regular-season finale, scored six points while wearing a brace.
Ibeh was 10-of-13 shooting and had 24 points for the Horned Frogs (8-23), who went 1-17 in league playing and losing to Oklahoma 93-66 and 101-78. Tara Manumaleuga had 15 points and seven assists and Tomi Taiwo added 11 points.
The game was also the last for TCU Coach Reagan Pebley, who announced last week she was stepping down after nine seasons.
Ibeh was amazing down the stretch, scoring the last 11 TCU points over 31/2 minutes. The Horned Frogs were 8 of 9 in the final five minutes.
NO. 15 TEXAS 60, KANSAS STATE 42
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — DeYona Gaston scored 12 points and 15th-ranked Texas came to life in the second half to defeat Kansas State in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.
After a miserable first half that saw the top-seeded Longhorns shoot 17% (5 of 30) and barely eke out an 18-all tie at halftime, they outscored the ninth-seeded Wildcats 21-4 in the third quarter and coasted to a semifinal date with fourth-seeded Oklahoma State today.
Midway through the second quarter Texas (24-8) was down 16-7 but a 32-6 run made it 39-22 entering the fourth.
Kansas State scored 20 points in the fourth to avoid its worst output of the season.
SWAC WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT UAPB 71, ALABAMA STATE 66
A fourth-quarter rally helped send the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff into the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament title game in Birmingham, Ala.
UAPB (14-16) trailed 62-59 with 5:07 to go in the fourth quarter before a basket from Maya Peat started a 10-0 run. Alabama State (16-15) was able to climb within 69-66 with 45 seconds remaining following a jumper from Samiya Steele, but Tia Morgan hit two free throws to seal the win for the Golden Lions.
Peat and Back both scored 16 points, and Demetria Shephard followed with 13 for UAPB, which will play Southern in today’s championship game at 1 p.m.
Ayana Emmanuel had 27 points, and Jayla Crawford scored 17 for the Hornets, who led 36-35 at halftime and 5649 at the end of three quarters.
Alabama State shot 4 of 16 (25%) in the fourth quarter, while UAPB went 6 of 9 (66.7%). The Golden Lions also withstood 20 turnovers to pull out the win.
Jaelyn Glenn led the Wildcats (17-16) with 15 points. Through three quarters they were shooting 25% (9 of 35) but went 7 of 14 in the fourth with three of their four three-pointers.
CONFERENCE USA
NO. 25 MIDDLE TENN. 68, UTEP 62
FRISCO, Texas — Jalynn Gregory scored 22 points, Kseniya Malashka had 18 points and 14 rebounds and No. 25 Middle Tennessee beat fourth-seeded UTEP to advance to the championship game of the Conference USA Tournament.
Middle Tennessee led for 37 minutes with UTEP’s last lead at 48-47 after N’Yah Boyd scored the opening five points of the fourth quarter.
UTEP forward Elina Arike was left open for a three-pointer to get within 61-59 but Courtney Whitson answered with a three-pointer from the corner with 45.2 left. The Miners missed a quick three-pointer on their next possession and Whitson made 1 of 2 free throws for a six-point lead.
UTEP missed another jumper and Savannah Wheeler made 1 of 2 free throws with 21.8 left. Arike sank a long three-pointer with to get within four points, but Gregory added two free throws to seal it.
Whitson finished with 18 points for Middle Tennessee (27-4). Arike finished with 23 points and Boyd scored 18 for UTEP (20-11).
AMERICAN EAST VERMONT 38, ALBANY 36
Emma Utterback scored 18 points and Vermont survived a wild finish to beat Albany 38-36 in the America East Conference championship game and advancing to its first NCAA Tournament since 2010.
Vermont (25-6) led 30-15 with a minute left in the third quarter but Albany, which had 17 points through three quarters, scored 19 in the fourth and was given every chance to win, although a final long heave at the basket wasn’t close.
The Catamounts managed to run their winning streak to 17 despite going 2 of 12 from the floor, 4 of 12 from the foul line and committing eight turnovers in the last 10 minutes.
Kayla Cooper had 12 points and Helene Haegerstrand added 10 for the defending tournament champion Great Danes (22-11). Albany shot just 25% with eight of the 14 field goals coming in the fourth quarter.