Prepare for the Madness
South carolina, Iowa, usc and Texas are the top seeds
Dawn Staley and South Carolina could see some familiar faces on their path to trying to finish off an undefeated season.
The Gamecocks, who are the No. 1 overall seed in the women’s NCAA Tournament, are looking to become the 10th women’s basketball team to go unbeaten for an entire season.
They had a chance last season before falling just short against Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Final Four. The Hawkeyes received the other No. 1 seed in the Albany Regional. The two teams wouldn’t potentially face off until the national championship game this time. Iowa is a one-seed for the first time since 1992.
USC and star freshman Juju Watkins earned the Trojans’ first No. 1 seed since 1986 as the top choice in a Portland Regional. Texas earned the fourth No. 1 seed, its first since 2004, and will play Drexel in the other Portland Regional opener. There was debate whether Texas or Stanford would get the fourth No. 1 seed.
“To say we talked about it more than once was an understatement,” said NCAA selection committee Chair Lisa Peterson. “What it came down to was Texas had to play three tournament teams to get to the (Big 12) championship.”
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley’s squad has been challenged a few times this year, including needing a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Kamilla Cardoso to win the semifinals of the SEC Tournament over Tennessee, but has always pulled through. The Gamecocks, who are a No. 1 seed for the fourth consecutive year, will play the winner of Sacred Heart and Presbyterian in the first round of the tournament.
“I always feel good to be the No. 1 overall seed and to be undefeated,” Staley said. “I’m excited because we get a chance to know what our path is to win the national championship and, all great teams, a lot of familiar faces that are in our region. But we have to take it one game at a time and that’s what we’ll do on Friday.”
Cardoso will miss the
Buckeye at home 7-6 in a game with a 6 p.m. start, finishing under the lights at Kofa, with the Kings winning in nine innings.
Junior Jazymn Martinez led the Kings with a 3-for-5 day at the plate, including a triple. Freshman Emma Martinez had two RBIS in the win.
Junior Charlize Anaya threw nine complete innings in the circle, allowing three earned runs on seven hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. The Kings committed four errors, just half of the Hawks’ eight.
Kofa tied the game in the fourth with a three-run frame. They scored one more in the fifth, two in the seventh to send it to extras, and then the walk-off run to win it in the ninth.
The Kings visit the Buckeyes on Wednesday.
TENNIS Rams split day with Eagles
Antelope tennis visited Scottsdale Christian on Monday, with the girls winning 5-4 and boys losing by the same score.
In the girls match, Scottsdale Christian took the first three wins. Junior No. 4 Leisly Flores and No. 5 Mckenzie Praeger dominated their matches, and tied things up in singles play with a forfiet by the Eagles
The pairing of sophomore No. 6 Madison Barraza and freshman No. 2 Mariet Correa got a clutch win in doubles, winning 8-2. With another forfeit by Scottsdale Christian, Antelope took the win.
The boys lost 5-4, with only freshman No. 4 Kameron Beltran winning a singles match. The other three wins came via forfeit. Senior No. 1 Jose Calleros lost via tiebreaker.
Antelope’s Boys Tennis team lost in a close game, 4-5, ending with a tie breaker from Jose Calleros to determine the game. Kameron Beltran came off the court successful winning his singles match 6-0, 6-3.