In an action-packed women's college basketball game Sunday, No. 6 North Carolina State earned a thrilling victory in overtime, Virginia Tech defeated Louisville in the crucial ACC title game, and No. 1 South Carolina made history. .
Catch up on all the biggest storylines from Sunday's action here:
6th place North Carolina State defeats Georgia Tech in overtime
With some Marcus Page-like magic, Georgia Tech's Kara Dunn hit a circus 3-pointer to put No. 6 North Carolina State up 76-76 with less than a second left in the fourth quarter. The score was tied and the game went into overtime. However, the Wolfpack jumped out to a six-point lead midway through overtime and held on for the home victory.
Neither team was able to pull away in a game where neither team led by double digits, and the Wolfpack entered halftime with a one-point lead. The Yellow Jackets performed well throughout the game, making 11 of 23 from beyond the arc, highlighted by Dunn, who made 7 of 9 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 31 points. . It was a completely different story for the Wolfpack, who came from deep and made just 3 of 20 3-pointers.
However, NC State was able to stay in the game with 13 offensive rebounds, giving them plenty of second chances. The Wolfpack also made 17 of 21 from the stripe, six more free throws than the Yellow Jackets attempted.
North Carolina State's Asiaha James led the Wolfpack with 30 points on 11-of-20 field goals, and center River Baldwin provided momentum in the crucial moments, scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. He scored 8 points.
Georgia Tech (15-12, 6-9 ACC) remains in 10th place in the ACC, falling to 0-7 against ranked opponents this season. Meanwhile, North Carolina State (23-3 ACC, 11-3 ACC) currently ranks second in the ACC behind Virginia Tech. The Wolfpack has built a great record at home, improving to 13-1 in Raleigh this season.
No. 1 South Carolina beats Georgia to set SEC record
Despite trailing by seven points in the first half, No. 1 South Carolina defeated Georgia 70-56. Siamcocks remain unbeaten with victory; Head coach Dawn Staley and staff set an SEC record with 43 consecutive conference regular season wins.
Still, it came as a surprise to many that the Bulldogs defeated the Siamcocks 35-28 in the first half. Georgia's Javin Nicholson's career-high 27 points was one of the main factors in pulling South Carolina out of the red. Before the trip to Colombia, Nicholson was averaging 15.5 points per game.
In the third quarter, the Gamecocks relied on their scoring toolbox in the paint and behind the arches. South Carolina forward Chole Kitts made a layup, and center Camila Cardoso used her size to make basic plays against Georgia State. Outside the paint, guard Tehina Paopao made four 3-pointers. Her final two in the fourth quarter solidified the lead for the Shamcocks as they chased the final buzzer.
No. 12 Virginia Tech defeats No. 18 Louisville, gaining momentum for ACC title
An amazingly accurate barrage from Elizabeth Kitley and her Virginia Tech marksmen defeated the once impregnable KFC Yum! The center fielder helped the Hokies shoot over 65 percent from the field, and Louisville suffered its first home loss with a resounding 86-70 victory.
Kitley quickly responded to a 2-0 Louisville lead with an and-one conversion, erasing the Cards' only advantage of the afternoon. It foreshadowed a dominant performance by the All-American first team in the AP preseason. Kitley scored or assisted on Virginia Tech's first 11 points and ended up finishing with a game-high 26 points with 13 boards off the back of strong Hokie rebounding (Louisville grabbed just 11 defensive rebounds). (I could only record books).
Georgia Amoore, who threw a left jab that is one of the deadliest one-two punches in college basketball, stepped up late in the first quarter, made two free throws, then beat the buzzer with a jumper to make it 10. It gave the Hokies a seven-point lead at the end of the inning. Minutes. VT started the second frame hot from beyond the arc with two triples from Matilda Ek. That ladder came from one of Amoore's 10 assists on the afternoon, and the Hokie point guard had one of his own to extend Tech's lead to two points. -Numbers. A 28-point second quarter saw the Hokies lead by as many as 15 points, and they ultimately went into the locker room trailing 48-35.
Amoa continued to shine for Louisville out of the locker room, scoring 23 points on a near-perfect 9-of-11 shooting performance. Virginia Tech held a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game, reaching 12 points on the afternoon with Ek's jumper, giving them a high of 18 points. The Hokies held a one-game lead in the ACC title race with the win.
No. 10 USC shuts down No. 11 Oregon State
No. 11 Oregon State's high-flying offense had been outstanding in its five-game winning streak against top-ranked opponents, but it regressed toward average, losing 58-50 to No. In one game, he shot less than 33 percent from the field. .10 USC and likely misses out on the Beavers' chance at a Pac-12 title.
Those sudden struggles were evident from the opening tip-off, as it took the Beavers nearly four minutes to score their first points – Talia von Olhoffen continued her Friday night heroics with a triple I decided. Meanwhile, USC's freshman phenom JuJu Watkins added his one conversion early on a long-range basket, extending USC's lead to his 14-3. Oregon State would rally to cut the deficit to six by the end of the first quarter.
The Beavers adapted to a defensive rock fight from the first intermission, holding USC without a field goal for the first five minutes of the second quarter, and two free throws by Von Olhoffen cut the gap to just one possession. Ta. But Watkins made another big basket just before the halftime break, hitting a three to give USC a 26-20 advantage.
USC extended its lead to 13 points several times throughout the third quarter, and even though Timea Gardner continued the onslaught with a game-high 22 points, the Trojans ultimately held on for a blowout road win in Corvallis. I got it.
Tickets: March Madness Women's Basketball Tournament
