A packed Sunday in women's hoops saw undefeated No. 1 South Carolina as well as two other top-10 teams survive scares against unranked opponents, and lots more.
Here's everything you might have missed:
No. 1 South Carolina fends off Ole Miss in overtime
Ole Miss nearly sent shockwaves through the nation, taking the No. 1 Gamecocks to overtime, but South Carolina, the last remaining undefeated team in all of Division I basketball, stayed perfect, escaping with a 64-57 win.
Ole Miss’ Angel Baker hit a jumper with 1:20 to go in regulation to give the Rebels a late 55-54 lead, capping off a 5-1 run in the final three minutes, but USC’s Aliyah Boston hit the second of two free throws with 30 seconds left to force overtime. In the extra frame, Boston and Zia Cooke came up clutch to lift the Gamecocks to a 27-0 record.
It was South Carolina’s first overtime game since 2018.
Boston had another big game for the Gamecocks with a double-double (13 points, 12 rebounds), and Cooke led the way on the scoreboard with 24 points. Kamilla Cardoso added eight points and 11 boards, and Brea Beal had eight points and five assists as well.
.@QueenBrea_1 is TOUGH
— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) February 19, 2023
📺 @SECNetwork https://t.co/MPniGdxIdt pic.twitter.com/j6R6GSeeEh
The Rebels also got balanced scoring throughout the lineup with Baker (17 points) and Snudda Collins (11) leading the way. Marquesha Davis had nine points and seven rebounds.
Both teams struggled shooting the ball. South Carolina went just 27.3 percent from beyond the arc (3-for-11) and 37.7 overall from the field (23-for-61). Ole Miss went just 2-for-9 from three-point range (22.2 percent) and 23-for-63 (36.5) on total field goals.
No. 9 Duke survives Virginia
The Blue Devils survived a late surge from the Cavaliers to hold on for the 56-52 victory.
Duke hit a trio of quick three-pointers to start the second half, opening up a 13-point lead (42-29), but Virginia went on a 10-2 run to pull within five heading into the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers remained within striking distance throughout the start of the fourth.
Taylor Valladay had five points in the final 1:22 of regulation, but Duke’s Celeste Taylor also came up big down the stretch with a three and some clutch free throws to put the game away. Her makes from the charity stripe were the only two free throws that Duke made all afternoon (2-for-9).
CELESTE TAYLOR. CLUTCH.
— Duke Women’s Basketball (@DukeWBB) February 19, 2023
The ball movement though 😍 pic.twitter.com/Y5cJD4MCLD
Taylor finished the game with eight rebounds, eight assists and 12 boards for the Blue Devils. Elizabeth Balogun (12 points) and Taya Corosdale (10) each hit double digits. Valladay (19 points) and McKenna Dale (10 points, five rebounds) powered Virginia in the loss.
No. 4 Utah edges Arizona State
The Sun Devils gave the Utes a scare, but Utah ultimately came away with the 74-69 dub.
ASU took a 23-16 lead out of the first quarter, but the Utes stormed back with a 12-2 run late in the second to lead 31-29 at the half. The Sun Devils quickly retook the lead to start the third before Utah came alive again to take a one-point lead into the fourth.
In the final 1:30 of regulation, Utah took advantage of their opportunities at the free throw line to outscore ASU 9-4 to pull away after a back-and-forth quarter.
Gianna Kneepkens showed out for the Utes with 22 points and six rebounds, including eight points in the final quarter. Jenna Johnson added 15 points and six rebounds, and Peyton McFarland had nine points and nine boards. Utah went a whopping 22-for-31 from the line.
👑of the take and make @giannakneepkens #GoUtes
— Utah Women’s Basketball (@UTAHWBB) February 19, 2023
📺Pac-12 Network
📱https://t.co/jGzb29g4wC pic.twitter.com/wGE6UUy0vp
Arizona State attempted 70 shots from the field, making 22. Sydney Erikstrup had a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards, and Treasure Hunt (13 points) and Kayla Mokwuah (11 points) each hit double digits.
No. 18 Arizona cruises past No. 21 Colorado
The Wildcats made light work of the Buffaloes with a 61-42 win. Arizona took a 31-20 lead going into halftime before a 17-7 run in the third quarter put the game firmly out of reach.
Shaina Pellington (19 points, five assists) and Esmey Martinez (14 points, seven rebounds) paced the Wildcats, who shot 42.9 (24-for-56) percent from the field.
No. 15 Oklahoma escapes Kansas
For nearly 30 total minutes, No. 15 Oklahoma clutched a lead whilst facing the unranked Jayhawks. By the end of the scuffle, the Sooners emerged victorious 86-80.
Senior guard Madi Williams shined with a 23-point performance — her eighth game of 20+ points this season. She was flanked by senior guard Ana Llanusa in the backcourt and senior forward Liz Scott on the lower blocks, respectively. While Llanusa tallied 18 points on an efficient 60% clip, Scott notched a double-double to secure the Sooners' dub.
On the other side, senior guards Zakiyah Franklin, Holly Kersgieter, and senior center Taiyanna Jackson put up over 15 points apiece. Franklin, the team's leading scorer, collected 30 total points and played the entire length of the game. The effort by the big three was futile though, as only two other players posted any points for the Jayhawks.
Cal squeaks past No. 25 Southern California
In an overtime thriller at Haas Pavilion, Cal edged out No. 25 USC 81-78. The blue and gold went tit for tat with the Trojans, matching their every score dead evenly for all four regulation periods.
The game saw 18 total lead changes, with the last being a made free throw by Cal’s Leilani McIntosh. Thereafter, USC fumbled a handful of opportunities to tie the game up, including a missed three-pointer at the buzzer.
Jayda Curry, a five-time Freshman of the Week last season, led the Bears’ charge with 27 points. She also went 4-6 from beyond the arc and a perfect 5-5 from the charity stripe. Accompanying her in double-digit scoring included sophomore Kemery Martin with 15 points as well as senior Evelien Lutje Schipholt with 14 points.
The only Trojan to match Curry’s performance was graduate forward Kadi Sissoko. With 30 points to show, she also crashed the glass effectively by snagging eight boards. Nevertheless, Cal toppled the freshly ranked Trojans to pick up its fourth conference victory.
