Stanford, the ultimate main school staff standing in 2021, is the one Pac-12 staff nonetheless alive going into the 2022 Candy Sixteen.
Arizona, the ’21 runner-up, on Monday turned the fifth Pac-12 staff eradicated from the NCAA Event, shedding 63-45 at residence within the second spherical to North Carolina.
For the primary time since 2014, the Pac-12 has only one staff advancing to the second weekend — fewer than 5 different conferences, together with the Large Ten and ACC, which fill half of the Candy Sixteen.
There was a record-tying variety of wins by double-digit seeds within the first and second rounds, two of these over Pac-12 groups.
“It provides quite a lot of pleasure, however I didn’t need it taking place to us,” stated Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer, who at halftime Sunday had purpose to surprise concerning the final result of the Cardinal’s matchup in opposition to No. 8 seed Kansas.
However like within the Pac-12 Event closing two weeks earlier, Stanford hit the accelerator within the second half to show a two-point lead right into a 91-65 victory for its 14th consecutive Candy Sixteen berth and twenty second straight win this season.
“Tara made a degree to us that we weren’t taking part in our greatest, to place it properly,” senior guard Lexie Hull stated of the primary half in opposition to Kansas. “We didn’t wish to come again into the locker room on a loss and our season being over.
“That was the message for all of us, to get on the market and lay every part on the courtroom.”
All Hull did was put up 25 of a career-high 36 factors within the second half whereas additionally ending with six rebounds, six steals and three assists in a virtuoso efficiency that assured she and her twin sister Lacie might be taking part in the regionals of their hometown Spokane, Wash., for an opportunity to return to the Last 4.
Stanford performs No. 4 seed Maryland on Friday, the groups’ second assembly this season. The Cardinal received 86-68 within the Bahamas on Nov. 27 when Maryland had simply seven gamers accessible attributable to sickness and damage.
Stanford’s 6-foot-1 junior ahead Fran Belibi had arguably the signature play of NCAA opening weekend, changing a steal close to the highest of the important thing right into a one-handed dunk within the second quarter in opposition to Montana State.
The Cardinal led that sport 23-0 earlier than the Bobcats scored early within the second quarter. Belibi’s slam made it 31-6 on the way in which to a 41-12 halftime benefit.
Her dunk was the third in NCAA Event historical past and the primary since Baylor’s Brittney Griner in 2013.
“I dunk on a regular basis, and after I look again at footage, everybody remains to be simply as excited as if it was their first time seeing it,” stated Belibi, who has three dunks in her profession. “I believe it’s actually cool to see that on their faces.
“They’ve been getting on me all 12 months about not dunking to date. The freshmen have been like, ‘We got here right here for this, so the place is it?’ So it was actually cool to get it and to make it occur after which to only get engulfed. I felt actually cherished.”
VanDerveer is donating $10 for every 3-pointer made in all the NCAA Event for Ukrainian aid efforts via Save the Kids, Americares and World Giving.
Her present whole is $6,290 via Monday with 15 video games nonetheless to be performed earlier than a champion is topped April 3 in Minneapolis.
“I hope different folks will get on board with this problem,” stated VanDerveer, the coach of the 1996 U.S. Olympic staff, which performed in Kyiv earlier than the Atlanta Video games.
House courtroom not sufficient to propel Arizona
With 4 different Pac-12 groups shedding in a sub-regional play earlier than Monday, Arizona was beneath added strain to increase the convention’s streak of placing no less than two groups into the Candy Sixteen to a seventh 12 months.
The No. 4-seeded Wildcats trailed UNLV on the finish of the third quarter Saturday to win their first-round sport.
Guard Shaina Pellington tied her season excessive with 30 factors (three off her profession finest) and ahead Cate Reese returned from a Feb. 20 shoulder damage with 16, main the Wildcats into the second spherical in opposition to No. 5 North Carolina.
However virtually nothing went properly Monday for the Wildcats, who after taking a slim lead at 5:19 of the primary quarter failed to attain once more till 3:52 within the second, after they trailed 23-9.
“They have been all tough to protect,” Arizona coach Adia Barnes stated. “We had a tricky time recognizing issues. I felt we might have extra of a way of urgency as a result of we've got expertise (from 2021) in way more strain conditions. We weren’t capable of get stops and switch them over.”
Arizona did claw inside seven (32-25) halfway via the third quarter, solely to be hit with a 19-2 run by the Tar Heels earlier than one other large however principally upset crowd at McKale Heart (8,333).
Reese and Pellington dropped off to 6 and three factors, respectively — 37 fewer than they scored in opposition to UNLV.
“We needed Todd’s size on Pellington,” North Carolina coach Courtney Banghart stated of Kennedy Todd-Williams, who additionally led the Tar Heels with 19 factors. “I don’t like all matchup 1-on-1 with any of their gamers. It was all 5, on a regular basis.”
Oregon’s four-year Candy Sixteen run ends
Utah was the opposite Pac-12 staff to achieve the NCAA second spherical, with Oregon, Colorado and Washington State dropping their openers.
The Pac-12 went 4-5 general within the sub-regionals, three wins under our Hotline forecast.
Utah performed to its No. 7 seeding, successful 92-69 over No. 10 Arkansas earlier than shedding 78-56 to No. 2 Texas, additionally within the Spokane regional with Stanford.
The Utes went 15-of-31 from 3-point vary within the first spherical, then dipped to 6-of-20 in opposition to Texas.
“Possibly they only obtained into our heads a little bit bit, and we have been making an attempt to do an excessive amount of,” Utah guard Dru Gylten stated. “We simply needed anyone to make a play and (have been) sort of counting on different folks to do stuff and obtained away from what we do finest.”
Stanford misplaced to Texas 61-56 on Nov. 14. A possible rematch could be within the Spokane regional closing Sunday.
“If it finally ends up being Texas-Stanford, that’s going to be an important sport,” stated Utah coach Lynne Roberts, who was 0-3 vs. Stanford this season. “My hypothetical cash is on Stanford, simply because they’re Pac-12.”
— No. 5 seed Oregon’s 73-70 double-overtime loss to No. 12 Belmont ended the Geese’ four-year run to the Candy Sixteen or past. Belmont additionally put a deep scare into No. 4 Tennessee on Monday in a 70-67 second-round loss.
Oregon coach Kelly Graves, who had a nationwide championship contender in 2020 when the postseason was canceled attributable to COVID, talked afterward a few must reset after a 20-12 season.
“At instances, our gamers have acted and carried out entitled,” Graves stated. “This group hasn’t received something. We’ve obtained to come back again and work tougher and be harder. It’s a mindset. We’ve obtained to come back again hungrier as a result of we’re not the hunted. We’re looking like all people else.”
— No. 7 Colorado additionally misplaced to a double-digit seed, No. 10 Creighton (closing rating: 84-74). The Bluejays then took it a step additional, beating second-seeded Iowa 64-62 on Saturday to achieve their first Candy Sixteen.
The Buffs have been down 4 late within the fourth quarter when a Kindyll Wetta foul was upgraded to intentional. Creighton made two free throws and a basket off the following possession, taking what proved to be an insurmountable eight-point lead with 1:24 remaining.
“If you understand Kindyll Wetta, you understand she wouldn’t hurt a spider strolling throughout the ground,” Colorado coach JR Payne stated. “It was only a entice. I believe it was incidental contact, her hand hit her face, however something above the shoulders goes to be (dominated intentional).”
— No. 8 seed Washington State misplaced for a second straight 12 months within the first spherical, 50-40 to No. 9 Kansas State. The Cougars led 24-17 at halftime earlier than Kansas State discovered a solution to get the ball to 6-foot-6 Ayoka Lee, who completed with 20 factors and 15 rebounds.
“Fouls actually mounted up for the 2 bigs that I put in,” Washington State coach Kamie Ethridge stated.
“They clearly obtained just a few beauty for her, however each foul ended up in a taking pictures foul. (Lee went 10-of-12 from the road). She’s so good — higher than anybody within the nation that may catch it excessive and hold it excessive, and he or she will get quite a lot of calls on that.
“That was actually the distinction.”
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