South Carolina outlasts LSU in SEC title game
Contest marred by fight, ejections in closing minutes
Milaysia Fulwiley scored a career-high 24 points including four 3-pointers as No. 1 South Carolina held off No. 8 LSU 79-72 to win the Southeastern Conference Tournament title Sunday, a victory marred by a fourthquarter fight that led to Gamecocks leading scorer and rebounder Kamilla Cardoso being ejected.
South Carolina (32-0) was ahead 73-66 when Fulwiley stole the ball from Flau’jae Johnson, who wrapped her up and was called for a foul.
Johnson then bumped South Carolina’s Ashlyn Watkins, and the 6-foot-7 Cardoso rushed and pushed the 5-10 Johnson the ground. Players from both benches rushed toward them.
Cardoso and three of her teammates were ejected. Two LSU players who came off the bench were also sent off.
It was South Carolina’s eighth tournament crown in the past 10 seasons and its 16th straight win over defending national champion LSU (28-5). Fulwiley, the speedy, flashy freshman, was named the tournament’s most valuable player.
Aneesah Morrow led LSU with 19 points. Angel Reese had 15 points and 13 rebounds, her third straight double-double in the tournament.
NO. 3 IOWA 94,
NEBRASKA 89, OT
Caitlin Clark overcame a cold start to score 30 of her 34 points after halftime and help Iowa rally past Nebraska in overtime to win a third straight Big Ten Tournament.
Hannah Stuelke had 25 points and nine rebounds for the Hawkeyes (29-4), who trailed by 13 points late in the first half while their superstar Clark missed all nine of her 3-point attempts.
The all-time NCAA leading scorer finished 5 for 17 from deep, had 12 assists and hit the dagger 3-pointer with 51 seconds left in OT for an 89-87 lead just 16 seconds after Logan Nissley’s 3 had put the Cornhuskers in front.
Alexis Markowski had 23 points and 13 rebounds to lead Nebraska (22-11), which fell short of a second victory over Iowa this season.
Natalie Potts had 21 points and nine rebounds
for the Huskers, who led 75-67 with 2 1/2 minutes to go in regulation, before Clark drained one of her signature step-back 3-pointers. Her layup in traffic tied the game with 29 seconds left. Nissley’s baseline jumper was short at the regulation buzzer.
NO. 14 NOTRE DAME 55,
NO. 10 NC STATE 51
Star freshman Hannah Hidalgo had 22 points, including a pair of baskets for the lead down the stretch, and Notre Dame beat North Carolina state in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship game.
The fourth-seeded Fighting Irish (26-6) won their first tournament title in five years and first under coach Niele Ivey.
Hidalgo finished with six rebounds and six assists and was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Maddy Westbeld added 16 points and seven boards for Notre Dame.
River Baldwin had 14 points and seven rebounds to lead N.C. State (27-6), while Aziaha James had 12 points on 5-for-16 shooting.
NO. 9 UCONN 59, MARQUETTE 29
Paige Bueckers had 27 points and 12 rebounds to lead Uconn past Marquette in the Big East Tournament semifinals.
Ice Brady, making just her second start, added 10 points for the short-handed Huskies (28-5), who had seven available players after losing star center Aaliyah Edwards to a facial injury after she was struck in the nose in Saturday’s win over Providence.
Liza Karlen had 12 points and nine rebounds to lead Marquette (23-8), which made just 12 baskets on 54 shots (22%) and scored its last points with 4:49 left in the third quarter.
Uconn will face Georgetown in Monday’s championship game.
GEORGETOWN 55,
NO. 21 CREIGHTON 46
Kelsey Ransom scored 14 points to lead sixthseeded Georgetown past second-seeded Creighton in the Big East Tournament semifinals.
Alex Cowan added 12 points for the Hoyas (2210), who have won six games in a row to earn the program’s first trip to the conference championship game and strengthen their case for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Georgetown will play Uconn for the Big East title.
Morgan Maly scored 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting for the Bluejays (25-5), who saw their four-game win streak snapped.
Men
NO. 2 PURDUE 78, WISCONSIN 70
Zach Edey had 25 points and 14 rebounds in his home finale, becoming the first Big Ten player to exceed 2,200 career points and 1,200 boards, and No. 3 Purdue beat Wisconsin.
Fletcher Loyer added 15 points and Braden Smith added 10 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for the Boilermakers (283, 17-3), who won their fifth straight overall and a second consecutive Big Ten title by at least three games.
John Blackwell scored 18 points for the Badgers (1912, 11-9). Tyler Wahl had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and AJ Storr also scored 17.
NO. 12 ILLINOIS 73, IOWA 61
Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 25 points, Quincy Guerrier had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and No. 12 Illinois beat Iowa.
The Illini (23-8, 14-6 Big Ten) built a big early lead, then pulled away late in the second half after letting the Hawkeyes (18-13, 10-10) get within 59-53 with 6:58 left. Illinois, which finished three games behind Big Ten champion Purdue, will be the No. 2 seed in this week’s Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis.