We knew the first women's college basketball Sunday of 2022 would be exciting, as it featured 17 top-25 teams in action. The jam-packed slate did not disappoint, filled with thrilling games from start to finish.
Here's what you need to know from a crazy day of games.
NEW RANKINGS: Louisville is new No. 1 😱
No. 10 Baylor falls in the new year's first upset
It's been 18 years and 36 games since Baylor has lost to Kansas State, but on the first Sunday of 2022, Baylor's reign of dominance came to an end.
Unranked Kansas State pulled off the first upset of 2022 in women's basketball with a 68-59 victory. The Wildcats took a 3-2 lead one minute and seven seconds into the game and never looked back, leading the remainder of the game. In fact, Kansas State led by as many as 15 points over Baylor.
Ayoka Lee led the Kansas State effort with 32 points, shooting 11 of 16 from the field. On defense, the Wildcats dominated the Bears; they limited Baylor to shooting just 38 percent from the field and 30 percent from three. It was an all-around effort in Kansas State's first win over Baylor since 2004.
@ayokalee dominated the post! To help @kstatewbb upset #10 Baylor! 32pts (11-16FG) (10-13 FT) 10reb 2ast 🔥🔥🔥#Sh3gotgame pic.twitter.com/mVHkVvXWgN
— Sh3gotgame (@Sh3gotgame1) January 2, 2022
Elsewhere, No. 7 Tennessee and No. 13 Georgia barely escaped with road victories in what is shaping up to be a deep SEC.
No. 8 Indiana makes history in Sunday's lone top-10 matchup
No. 6 Maryland visited No. 8 Indiana in a highly anticipated Big Ten matchup. The game lived up to the hype, entering the fourth quarter tied at 45.
In the fourth, Indiana jumped out to a quick lead, but Maryland did not give up easily. The Terrapins went on a 10-1 run to close the fourth quarter and force overtime, led by Ashley Owusu's back-to-back buckets with under a minute to go.
ASHLEY OWUSU SENDS IT TO OT 😤😤
— ESPN (@espn) January 2, 2022
📺: ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/ejaEHNhebq
In overtime, the Hoosiers flexed their defensive muscle, holding Maryland, who has the seventh-leading scoring offense in the country, without a field goal. For Indiana, it was a continued showing of a spectacular defensive season, with no opponent scoring more than 70 points on the Hoosiers this season.
The 70-63 overtime win marks Indiana's first victory over Maryland in program history. The all-time series record is now 1-11.
No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 16 Georgia Tech comes down to the final minute
Entering the fourth quarter, Georgia Tech led Louisville thanks to its nation-leading scoring defense. The Yellow Jackets forced Louisville to shoot 28.2 percent from the field in the first three quarters.
However, the Cardinals rediscovered their shooting touch in the fourth quarter, making 66.7 percent of their shots in the final frame. No shot was bigger than Emily Engstler's layup with 3.3 seconds remaining. The bucket secured Louisville's win, giving the Cardinals a key victory in the ACC race.
Watch the game-winning shot below:
Emily Engstler wins it for Louisville. What a play. pic.twitter.com/TXQVH8CQr6
— Tyler Greever (@Tyler_Greever) January 2, 2022
Other ranked games are tightly contested
The other games featuring two ranked teams continued 2022's close calls. In the ACC, No. 15 Duke took down No. 17 Notre Dame 72-70 with a go-ahead basket with 30 seconds remaining. The Blue Devils won after the fourth quarter saw eight ties or lead changes.
In the SEC, No. 19 LSU rallied to beat No. 23 Texas A&M 75-66 behind Alexis Morris' 30-point day. Morris scored 23 second-half points in the winning effort. Every bucket was necessary as the Tigers overcame a five-point deficit to start the fourth quarter.
Make that FOUR for @AlexisMorrisWBB
— LSU Women's Basketball (@LSUwbkb) January 2, 2022
💻 https://t.co/R9mYPAEkLo pic.twitter.com/E5JPSnIP8t
As conference play picks up, expect more thrilling matchups like these in 2022.
Caitlin Clark shines with 44 points
Iowa's Caitlin Clark, a National Player of the Year candidate, put on a show with 44 points on 26 shots in a win over Evansville. Clark added eight assists in Iowa's 37-point victory, again displaying her versatile playmaking ability. Clark sat eighth in the country in points per game to start the new year, but with more performances like this, she could finish atop the charts at the season's end.
@caitlinclark22 really made it look to easy! LEAUGE H3R!!!!
— Sh3gotgame (@Sh3gotgame1) January 2, 2022
44pts never looked so easy! True Bucket! @iowawbb #Sh3gotgame pic.twitter.com/hbtuMZMzan
