Another week of women’s college basketball brought exciting finishes. Here’s a look at the biggest matchups from Sunday.
No. 3 Texas rallies past No. 5 LSU, wins 65-58
No. 3 Texas erased a double-digit deficit and locked in defensively late to take down No. 5 LSU 65-58 in a top-five showdown on Sunday.
Madison Booker led the Longhorns with 16 points and 10 rebounds, shaking off a tough shooting night (3-for-17) by going a perfect 10-for-10 at the free-throw line. Taylor Jones added 12 points and eight boards, while Rori Harmon contributed 10 points, five assists, and four rebounds.
LSU controlled much of the first half, using Aneesah Morrow’s dominance on the glass to build a 12-point lead. Morrow finished with 15 points and 20 rebounds, while Mikaylah Williams led all scorers with 18 points. Flau’Jae Johnson added 16 points for the Tigers, but LSU struggled in the fourth quarter, scoring just nine points as Texas surged ahead.
The Longhorns flipped the game with a 25-point third quarter, fueled by Booker’s playmaking and key buckets from Jordan Lee off the bench. Texas took the lead early in the fourth and never looked back, making clutch stops down the stretch.
The win extends Texas’ streak to 10 games and proves its position as a projected No. 1 seed in the latest NCAA Top 16 reveal. LSU, listed as a No. 2 seed in the Spokane region, will look to regroup as March approaches.
Mikayla Blakes drops 55 as Vanderbilt downs Auburn in OT
Mikayla Blakes delivered a performance for the record books, scoring 55 points to lead Vanderbilt to a stunning 98-88 overtime win over Auburn on Saturday. The freshman’s scoring explosion set the NCAA single-game scoring record for a freshman — true or redshirt — while also marking her second 50-point game of the season.
The Commodores (15-10, 6-6 SEC) trailed by as many as 15 points, but Blakes took over, helping fuel the program’s second-largest comeback win since the 1999-00 season. Vanderbilt outscored Auburn 14-4 in overtime, with Blakes capping off her historic night by hitting six free throws in the extra period to put the game away.
MIKAYLA BLAKES. 55 POINTS‼️
— ESPN (@espn)
THE NEW D-I FRESHMAN SCORING RECORD 🔥
Auburn (18-8, 7-5 SEC) controlled most of the game, led by Yuting Deng’s 27 points and Deyona Gaston’s 25. The Tigers led 74-59 with under seven minutes to play, but Blakes sparked a rally, scoring 19 of her team’s final 39 points in regulation, including three free throws with no time left to force overtime at 84-84.
Blakes finished 15-of-28 from the field, 23-of-24 from the free-throw line, and added five assists. Khamil Pierre chipped in 19 points for Vanderbilt, which shot 51% from the field and dominated in transition with 20 fast-break points.
No. 7 UConn snaps No. 4 South Carolina's 71-game winning streak at home
In a game that will have fans buzzing for days, the UConn Huskies delivered a statement win, 87-58 over the South Carolina Gamecocks at Colonial Life Arena. With this victory, UConn hands South Carolina their first home loss since Dec. 2020.
The star of the show? Azzi Fudd, who poured in 28 points (5 rebounds), including five three-pointers. Her 11-22 shooting performance left defenders scrambling and helped fuel UConn’s fiery offensive display.
- Shooting: UConn shot a scorching 43.7% from the field (31-71), including an explosive 46.4% from three (13-28).
- South Carolina: Struggling with a 37.7% shooting performance and just 17.6 % from three (3-17), they couldn’t keep pace.
- Rebounds: UConn out-rebounded the Gamecocks 48-29, showcasing their size and hustle on both ends of the court.
- Assists: The Huskies dished out 22 assists, keeping the ball moving and creating open looks.
UConn completely controlled the transition game, scoring a massive 31 fast break points, outpacing South Carolina's 12. The Huskies turned defense into offense with ruthless efficiency.
This marks UConn’s 16th 20-point victory over a top-five opponent in the past 25 seasons, solidifying their legacy as one of the most dominant programs in women’s basketball. The Huskies improve to an impressive 24-3 (8-2 away), while South Carolina falls to 23-3 (12-1 at home).
As UConn rolls through the rest of the season, they’re sending a clear message to the nation: they’re ready for whatever challenges come their way and there's a high change we'll see these teams battle it out in March.
FULL SCOREBOARD: Click or tap here for results from every women's game
No. 12 UNC defeats No. 12 NC State, wins 66-65
No. 12 North Carolina pulled off a dramatic 66-65 win over No. 10 NC State on Sunday, sealing the victory with a pair of clutch free throws in the final seconds.
The Tar Heels trailed by as many as seven in the first half before rallying in the second, fueled by Reniya Kelly’s game-high 23 points. UNC took control in the third quarter behind timely shooting from Kelly and Lexi Donarski, who combined for five three-pointers. NC State, however, stormed back in the fourth, using a 10-0 run to take a six-point lead with under three minutes left.
UNC responded as Donarski drained a three to cut the deficit, and Lanie Grant followed with a layup to make it a one-point game. After a defensive stop, Grace Townsend drew a foul with five seconds remaining and calmly sank both free throws to give UNC the lead. NC State had one final possession, but Aziaha James’ contested jumper missed at the buzzer.
Madison Hayes led NC State with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Saniya Rivers added 14 points and 12 boards. Despite dominating the glass with a 55-35 rebounding advantage, the Wolfpack struggled from beyond the arc (4-for-20) and at the free-throw line (5-for-13), which proved costly down the stretch.
With the win, UNC extends its home dominance and strengthens its ACC tournament seeding. The Tar Heels will next face No. 7 Virginia Tech, while NC State looks to bounce back against Miami.
No. 1 UCLA fends off No. 22 Michigan State
No. 1 UCLA held off No. 22 Michigan State to win a tightly contested Big Ten matchup, 75-69.
The No. 1 Bruins got out to a hot start in this one, holding the lead for most of the first half, and taking a 44-31 lead into halftime. But the Spartans wouldn’t go down easily, outscoring UCLA 14-12 in the third quarter to take a 55-53 lead going into the final frame.
It was back-and-forth in the fourth quarter with the teams exchanging leads until the final minute. UCLA’s Timea Gardner hit a clutch three-pointer to put the Bruins on top with 43.6 seconds to go.
TG FOR 3⃣3⃣3⃣3⃣
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB)
📺: Big Ten Network | x
Gardner finished with 18 points off the bench for UCLA, tying with Janaiah Barker to lead the Bruins in scoring. Theryn Hallock and Julia Ayrault led the way for the Spartans with 19 and 18 points respectively, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the top team in the nation.
UCLA gets back on track after losing its first game of the season this week against cross-town rival Southern California. The Bruins were also named the No. 1 overall seed in the DI Women’s Basketball Committee Top 16 reveal today.
