Texas downs Kansas St., clinches Big 12’s top seed
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Shaylee Gonzales scored 21 points and No. 12 Texas smothered Kansas State 80-52 to win a share of the Big 12 Conference championship for the first time since 2004 as the regular season came to an end on Saturday.
The Longhorns (23-8, 14-4) share the title with Oklahoma, but the defending tournament champions take the No. 1 seed into the league tournament because they swept the Sooners.
Texas is 19-0 when holding teams under 60 points.
Taylor Jones added 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting for Texas and DeYona Gaston had 17 with nine rebounds. Rori Harmon had 12 assists.
NO. 1 SOUTH CAROLINA 80 MISSISSIPPI 51
Laeticia Amihere scored 17 points and Aliyah Boston posted her 80th career double-double to lead the top-ranked Gamecocks into the SEC Tournament final.
Boston had 10 points and 11 rebounds as the Gamecocks (31-0) won their 37th straight game.
NO. 14 OHIO STATE 79 NO. 2 INDIANA 75
Rikki Harris made a go-ahead layup with 38 seconds left for the Buckeyes after rallying from a 24-point deficit in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
TENNESSEE 69 NO. 4 LSU 67
Rickea Jackson scored 26 points and Jordan Horston 17 as the Volunteers rallied from 17 points down to defeat the Tigers and reach their first Southeastern Conference tournament championship game since 2015.
NO. 7 IOWA 89
NO. 5 MARYLAND 84
Caitlin Clark had 22 points and nine assists, Gabbie Marshall and McKenna Warnock each scored 21, and the Hawkeyes advanced at the Big Ten Tournament.
NO. 8 VIRGINIA TECH 58 NO. 13 DUKE 37
Georgia Amoore scored 24 points on six 3-pointers and the Hokies advanced to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship game for the first time in program history.
Virginia Tech (26-4) will face unranked Louisville next.
NO. 9 UCONN 69 GEORGETOWN 39
Aaliyah Edwards had 19 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Huskies to the Big East semifinals at Uncasville, Conn.
LOUISVILLE 64
NO. 10 NOTRE DAME 58
Hailey Van Lith had 15 points, and the unranked Cardinals used a stifling defensive performance to knock off the Fighting Irish at Greensboro, N.C.
The Cardinals (23-10) will face No. 8 Virginia Tech in the Atlantic Coast Conference final.
NO. 11 VILLANOVA 71 DEPAUL 70
Maddy Siegrist posted a double-double and Lucy OIsen scored 19 and her go-ahead free throw with 7 seconds left sent the Wildcats to the Big East semifinals.
NO. 16 OKLAHOMA 80 OKLAHOMA ST 71
Taylor Robertson had 15 points and six assists, Skylar Vann had a double-double off the bench, and the Sooners secured the school’s first Big 12 championship since 2009.
NO. 23 IOWA ST. 72 TEXAS TECH 56
Ashley Joens scored 22 points and became the Big 12 Conference all-time leader in games played, Emily Ryan had a doubledouble and the host Cyclones rolled.
NO. 24 M. TENNESSEE 72 UTEP 68 (OT)
Jaylynn Gregory and Kseniya Malashka scored 17 points apiece and the Lady Raiders won at home.
RICE 96, FIU 84
Katelyn Crosthwaite scored 22 points as the Owls won at Miami, Fla., for their fifth consecutive victory.
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 65 TEXAS SOUTHERN 57
Diana Rosenthal led the host Panthers with 23 points in a win at home.
Taniya Lawson led the Tigers (2-26, 2-15 SWAC) with 24 points.
WEST VIRGINIA 63 BAYLOR 52
Madison Smith had 30 pointsas the Mountaineers won at Waco. Ja’Mee Aberry led the Bears (19-11, 10-8 Big 12) with 18 points.