WOMEN’S CONFERENCE TOURNEY ROUNDUP

Big 12: Iowa St. 62, No. 15 Texas 51

Ashley Joens had 28 points and 10 rebounds to lead Iowa State to a 62-51 victory over No. 15 Texas in the Big 12 Conference Tournament championship game on Sunday for the Cyclones’ first postseason title since 2001.

Joens, the 2022-23 Big 12 Player of the Year, was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. She was joined on the all-tournament team by Shaylee Gonzales, Rori Harmon and DeYona Gaston of Texas, Lexi Donarski of Iowa State and Skylar Vann of Oklahoma.

This was the final Big 12 women’s championship to be played at Municipal Auditorium, and it occurred in front of a predominantly pro-Iowa State crowd. The tournament will move to Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center beginning next year.

Lexi Donarski and Morgan Kane scored 9 points apiece for Iowa State (22-9), which won its third Big 12 Tournament title, which comes with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Texas (25-9) was led by Gonzales and Taylor Jones with 12 points each.

NEC: Sacred Heart 72, FDU 60

Ny’Ceara Pryor had 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to help Sacred Heart beat Fairleigh Dickinson and win the NEC title, earning the school’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2012. Trailing 56-55 with just over 3 minutes left in a back-and-forth fourth quarter, Sacred Heart scored the next 10 points, including four by Pryor to take control of the game. Her pullup jumper with the shot clock winding down made it a 63-56 with 1:14 left and the Knights couldn’t recover. Second-seed Sacred Heart (18-13) built an early lead before the top-seeded Knights rallied back to take a one-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter. The teams exchanged leads a few times before Olivia Tucker’s pullup jumper from 10 feet made it 57-56 Pioneers and started the game-ending run.

On the ensuing inbounds play, Amelia Wood stole the ball and quickly scored to make it 59-56 with 3 minutes left.

Pryor then scored four straight points to seal the win, much to the delight of the Pioneers fans who made the trip down to FDU for the game. Chloe wilson scored 19 points for FDU (24-7), which has never been to the NCAA Tournament.

Patriot: Holy Cross 66, Boston U. 61

Bronagh Power-Cassidy scored 21 points, including a rally-busting jumper late in the fourth quarter, and No. 2 seed Holy Cross defeated top-seeded Boston University to win the Patriot League Tournament and reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007.

Power-Cassidy’s jumper with 2:01 remaining gave the Crusaders a 64-61 lead after Holy Cross (24-8) saw a 22-point cushion dwindle to one point. BU missed its next three shots and there was no more scoring until Power-Cassidy buried two free throws for a five-point lead with two seconds left. Sydney Johnson scored 19, Lauren Davenport 12 and Caitlin Weimar 10 for the Terriers (24-8), who were denied a school-record for victories in a season and a second trip to the NCAA Tournament. CAA: Monmouth 80, Towson 55

Brianna Tinsley scored 18 points, Ariana Vanderhoop added 17 and seventh-seeded Monmouth rolled over No. 1 seed Towson in the Colonial Athletic Association championship game, giving the Hawks a long-awaited return to the NCAA Tournament.

Monmouth will be making its second NCAA appearance and first since appearing in the inaugural

tournament in 1982.

Jania Hall scored 14 points off the bench for Monmouth (18-15) and Belle Kranbuhl had 11 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots.

Alexia Nelson had 13 points, Kylie Kornegay-Lucas 12 and Patricia Anumgba 11 points for Towson (21-11).

MVC: Drake 89, Belmont 71

Maggie Bair scored 19 points with 15 rebounds and six blocks, Katie Dinnebier scored 19 points and had nine assists and Drake routed Missouri Valley Conference newcomer Belmont in the tournament championship game.

Anna Miller scored 15 points for the fourth-seeded Bulldogs (22-9), who last went to the Big Dance in 2019. Grace Berg added 14 points and Sarah Gueldner 11.

Drake defeated top-seeded Illinois State, which shared the regular-season title with Belmont, by 20 in the semifinals.

Destiny Wells hit eight 3-pointers and scored 34 points for the second-consecutive game for the second-seeded Bruins (23-11), who had their 16game winning streak snapped. Kilyn McGuff added 15 points.