March 3, 2024 has certainly etched its name into the annals of women's college basketball history, as Caitlin Clark passed "Pistol" Pete Maravich as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history, South Carolina beat Tennessee 76-68 to secure a second-straight undefeated regular season and Virginia took down a top-5 opponent.
Here's a look at all the biggest storylines from the final Sunday of the women's college basketball regular season:
South Carolina beats Tennessee for second-straight perfect regular season
The South Carolina Gamecocks repeat a picture-perfect regular season after defeating the Tennessee Lady Vols, 76-68.
The win on senior night pushes the program's home-win streak to 57. South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley has made some moments in her starting line-up recently deciding to have Chloe Kitts and Raven Johnson come off the bench.
Standout freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley made her third career start and averages 15.7 points over the last three games. The newcomer's effort combined with seniors Kamilla Cardoso and Te-Hina Paopao put the bow on the Gamecocks' perfect season.
Tennessee's defense made some strides in the third quarter leaving Cardoso scoreless during the quarter. The Lady Vols were not able to work both ends of the floor and could not make any strides during South Carolina’s quiet period.
South Carolina also had their scoring range on display. Te-Hina Paopao remained consistent beyond the arc and the rest of the team finished paint plays to outscore Tennessee 38-28 down low.
Tennessee's Rickea Jackson finished the game with 29 points, eight rebounds, three blocks, two assists and one steal.
The Gamecocks also showed up on the defensive front, outrebounding the Lady Vols 57-41. Jackson and Cardoso battled until the last two minutes of the game until Cardoso fouled out.
Tennessee cut South Carolina's lead to five points at one point but it would not be enough to stop the Gamecocks from heading 100 miles up undefeated to Greenville, South Carolina on Friday. The Lady Vols will also play in the SEC tournament on Friday.
Caitlin Clark breaks scoring record, Iowa beats No. 2 Ohio State
It may not have been in the glamorous fashion that Caitlin Clark envisioned. Still, she and her Iowa Hawkeyes delivered on what a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena paid record prices to see: Clark surpassed Pete Maravich as the all-time leading scorer in men's or women's NCAA basketball and Iowa bested No. 2 Ohio State 93-83.
Just two points from Maravich's mark, Clark looked to claim the record in style, winding down the shot clock before stepping into a distant three just a few feet inside the mid-court stripe. As such, Clark ultimately compromised with history, drilling a pair of free throws after a Cotie McMahon technical foul.
The moment became the NCAA DI all-time leading scorer 🤩🐐 x 🎥 FOX /
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB)
Ohio State was effective in keeping Clark out of the score column early on. She scored just six points on 2-7 shooting in the first quarter, but Clark's incisive passing has highlighted her deadly supporting cast, as six different Hawkeyes scored in that stretch and an 8-13 start gave Iowa an early 25-10 lead.
Ohio State used some opportunistic defense to force 10 first-half turnovers to slim that 15-point deficit as low as four, but McMahon's technical gave Iowa four free throws in the final second of the first half. The Hawkeyes converted them all and headed into halftime leading 49-38.
The Buckeyes forced four Iowa turnovers in as many minutes to defang the ruthless Hawkeye offense, however, and pulled within two early in the second half. Ohio State was whistled for another technical foul soon after, fueling a 13-1 run that gave Iowa a 71-54 lead late in the third quarter. The Hawkeyes would maintain a three-possession lead throughout a comfortable fourth quarter, handing Ohio State its first loss of 2024.
Virginia clocks top-5 win over Virginia Tech
Even behind Georgia Amoore's career-high 39 points, the No. 5 Hokies fell to their in-state rival in the Commonwealth Clash on Sunday evening, 80-75.
It wasn't just the $5 hot dog and soda deal that attracted fanbases from both Blacksburg and Charlottesville, but a showcase of perimeter shooting that packed the John Paul Jones arena with a record-breaking 11,975 fans. The previous women's hoops record of 11,895 hadn't been touched since 2009.
SEA OF WHITE‼️
— Virginia Women's Basketball (@UVAWomensHoops)
Against UVA, Virginia Tech flashed all of the bells and whistles that any top-5 team has in its arsenal; the Hokies shot 46% from the field, put up 10 blocks, 38 total rebounds and six steals. Star guard Georgia Amoore had a stellar outing, going 8-15 from three and racking up two steals, four assists and two boards. Center Elizabeth Kitley had 20 points herself and four blocks, but was benched mid-third quarter after landing awkwardly and injuring her knee.
Without Kitley's presence, the Cavaliers saw just the mismatch they needed to inch ahead. Amidst Amoore's air raid from long distance in the fourth (3-6 3PT), Virginia's Jillian Bown, Cayla King and Kymora Johnson combined for four 3PT FGs in the final quarter. They capitalized on the weaker protection down low, scoring eight in the paint and five off turnovers.
Johnson notched a team-high 21 points for the Cavaliers, netting three triples, assisting eight and nabbing two steals. Despite missing four free throws in the final 30 seconds, Virginia's 42% clip carried the Cavaliers to defeating the ACC regular season champions. Virginia now stands at 15-14 on the year and will head into ACC tournament play against Wake on Wednesday. The Hokies (23-6) receive a first-round bye before facing the winner of North Carolina-Miami (FL) on Friday.
