The final Sunday of February brought more excitment in DI women's basketball, including an upset of the nation's top team. Here's what you need to know.
No. 13 NC State takes down No. 1 Notre Dame 104-95 in double-overtime thriller
NC State used a 9-0 double-overtime run to fight off No. 1 Notre Dame, holding the Irish scoreless for four minutes to earn a 104-95 upset. The Wolfpack put up the most points against an AP No. 1 team in the last 25 seasons, snapped the Irish’s 19-game win streak and marked the program’s first home win over a No. 1 ranked team since 1978.
The upset also delayed the Irish from clinching the ACC regular season title. Notre Dame moves to 24-3 overall, while the Wolfpack improve to 22-5.
Entering the fourth quarter down three, the Wolfpack turned to sophomore Zoe Brooks. Brooks produced 14 of NC State’s 27 fourth-quarter points, going 3-of-4 from the field but additionally a crucial 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Brooks tallied a career-high of 33 points on the day.
The Wolfpack went 12-of-12 from the line as a unit, keeping them right on the Irish’s heels in a fourth quarter that featured 11 different ties. NC State entered the matchup ranked No. 312 in DI women’s basketball for its percentage as a team at the free throw line.
Brooks converted two attempts at the line after a foul from Hidalgo, handing the Wolfpack an 82-79 lead. Brooks’ conversions then put the Irish in a corner, with Sonia Citron then providing the answer as regulation ended.
With just four seconds left on the clock, Olivia Miles found Citron cutting to the ball in sideline out-of-bounds action. Citron then took three dribbles, heaving a 3-pointer with only inches between her and Brooks. Citron drained the shot right before the buzzer, sending it to overtime.
SONIA CITRON TRIPLE!! She really did that!!
— Notre Dame Women's Basketball (@ndwbb)
📺ESPN
Both groups continued to trade buckets throughout the first overtime period. Citron answered again for the Irish, making a layup to give Notre Dame a 92-90 edge with 42 seconds left. James tied it for the Wolfpack at 92-92, sinking a floater.
Coming out of a timeout, the Irish were presented with the chance to end it once and for all with three seconds remaining in overtime. Citron inbounded the ball this time, pitching it to Miles, who missed the 3-pointer attempt. Double-overtime.
The Wolfpack opened the second extra period on a 6-0 run, holding the Irish scoreless for two and a half minutes. Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey was forced to use a timeout to assess the damage with her group. The very next play, the Wolfpack defense forced a Notre Dame turnover. The run swelled to 9-0, marking the largest lead of the entire game.
Citron, Hidalgo and Miles all recorded 20+ points for the Irish, but it wasn’t enough to edge out the Wolfpack. All five NC State starters finished in double figures.
No. 3 UCLA escapes Iowa on last-minute free throws
No. 3 UCLA (26-1, 14-1 Big Ten) struggled against Iowa (18-9, 8-8 Big Ten), but a last-minute Iowa foul gave the Bruins the chance to win, and they took it, 67-65.
Iowa’s Lucy Olsen was fouled on a three-point shot with six seconds left and the Hawkeyes trailing 65-62. She nailed all three free throws to tie the game in the clutch. But then her luck ran out as she was called for a foul of her own, sending Elina Aarnisalo to the line for UCLA with a chance to retake the lead with three seconds to go. Aarnisalo made both foul shots, and the Bruins escaped Carver-Hawkeye Arena with a win.
This game was tight for all 40 minutes, with the teams exchanging leads throughout. The No. 3 Bruins struggled to make their shots, shooting 42.1% from the field, but going 5-for-25 from beyond the arc. UCLA’s poor shooting, fouls and turnovers kept the Hawkeyes in it until the end, but Iowa failed capitalize on its chances and didn’t make a field goal in the last three-minutes of the game.
Lauren Betts led the Bruins on both sides of the ball with 22 points,12 rebounds and 3 blocks, continuing her impressive streak of 10 or more points in every game this season. Lucy Olsen led Iowa with 17 points but shot 5-for-21 from the field.
Patience 😶🌫️
— UCLA Women's Basketball (@UCLAWBB)
📺: Peacock | x
Despite having one of their worst showings of the season, the Bruins are happy to leave Iowa still with only one loss on their record this season.
No. 7 LSU beats No. 14 Kentucky
LSU hit the road and handled business in a 65-58 win over No. 14 Kentucky, improving to 26-2 on the season while handing the Wildcats just their fourth loss (21-4).
Mikaylah Williams led the way with 24 points on 10-of-21 shooting, knocking down a couple of threes to keep LSU in control. Flau’Jae Johnson had a huge impact with 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Aneesah Morrow added 12 points and 10 boards, battling through a tough shooting night.
MK12 makes clutch baskets 🏝️
— LSU Women's Basketball (@LSUwbkb)
📺ESPN
Kentucky had its chances but struggled from deep, shooting just 6-of-36 from three (16.7%). Georgia Amoore led the Wildcats with 16 points, while Clara Silva was a perfect 6-for-6, finishing with 12 points and 8 rebounds.
LSU dominated the glass (47-39 advantage) and locked in defensively down the stretch to hold off Kentucky’s late push, keeping their strong season rolling.
Florida State stuns No. 20 Georgia Tech on the road
Florida State (22-6, 12-4 ACC) held off a fourth quarter comeback from No. 20 Georgia Tech (21-7, 9-7 conference) to win 73-70.
This game was about as evenly matched as it gets, with the Seminoles and Yellow Jackets trading leads throughout. Georgia Tech found itself with a slim 34-31 advantage at halftime, but that lead evaporated in the third quarter as Florida State’s shooters tallied 26 points in the third frame.
But Georgia Tech wouldn’t go down easily, going on a 17-9 run in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 66. The Yellow Jackets never retook the lead though, and Florida State held on in the final minutes to come out of Atlanta with a win.
Sydney Bowles led the Seminoles with a career-high 32 points, beating her previous career high by 10. She also recorded a career-high in assists with six and made free throws with eight in a signature performance. Mikayla Timpson had 19 points and 16 rebounds for her 14th double-double this season and the 45th of her career.
Tianna Thompson led Georgia Tech with 19 points off the bench, and she shot 3-for-5 from three-point range, but it was not enough to overcome the late deficit the Yellow Jackets faced.Doing what she does BEST🔥 |
— FSU Women's Basketball (@fsuwbb)
Florida State is getting hot late in the season, as the Seminoles have now won three-straight as they prep to face No. 1 Notre Dame, who lost in an overtime thriller to No. 13 NC State today.
