Mulkey, LSU women rally in Final Four, reach first title game

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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DALLAS – Kim Mulkey is back in another national championship game, this time taking the flagship university from her home state there for the first time.

It took LSU only two seasons to get there with the feisty and flamboyantly dressed coach, and a big comeback in the national semifinal game that was quite an undercard Friday night.

Alexis Morris scored 27 points and had two of her misses in the fourth quarter turned into putback baskets by Angel Reese in a big run as LSU rallied to beat top-seeded Virginia Tech 79-72 in the first semifinal game.

“I’m never satisfied. I’m super-excited that we won, but I’m hungry,” said Morris, who jumped on a courtside table and fired up LSU fans after the game. “Like, I’m greedy. I want to win it all so I can complete the story.”

Reese finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds for LSU (33-2), which will play in the national title game Sunday against the winner of the highly anticipated matchup between Southeastern Conference foe South Carolina or Iowa in the other semifinal.

“It’s like a dream. It still hasn’t hit me that I’m at the Final Four,” said Reese, the transfer from Maryland who carries the nickname, ”Bayou Barbie.” “I’m just not even believing this right now. It’s crazy how much my life has changed in one year.”

Mulkey – in a carnation pink top this time – won three national titles in four Final Four appearances over her 21 seasons at Baylor. She is only the second coach to take two different teams to the national championship game. The other is C. Vivian Stringer, who did it with Cheyney in the inaugural 1982 women’s tournament and Rutgers in 2007.

“I came home for lots of reasons,” Mulkey said. “One, to some day hang a championship banner in the PMAC (Pete Maravich Assembly Center). Never, ever do you think you’re going to do something like this in two years.”

LSU made five national semifinal games in a row from 2004-08 – the only times the Tigers had made it this far. They lost each of those years.

The Tigers had to dig deep for this one, with neither team backing down.

Trailing 59-50 after three quarters, LSU went ahead with a 15-0 run over a five-minute span. The Tigers led for the first time since late in the first half when Falu’jae Johnson had a steal and drove for a layup to make it 64-62.

Reese had six points in that game-turning spurt, including a basket after Morris’ attempted 3-pointer clanked off the front rim. Reese had a second-effort follow of her own miss after rebounding another shot by Morris.

Elizabeth Kitley, the 6-foot-6 senior, had 18 points and 12 rebounds for Virginia Tech (31-5), the Atlantic Coast Conference champion that was in the Final Four for the first time. Georgia Amoore and Kayana Traylor each had 17 points, while Cayla King had 14.

Amoore set a record for the most 3-pointers in a single NCAA Tournament with 24, though she had a tough night shooting – 4 of 17 overall, including 4 of 15 from beyond the arc. She passed Kia Nurse’s record 22 set in the 2017 tourney for UConn, which lost in the national semifinals on the same court. Arizona’s Aari McDonald had 22 in six NCAA tourney games two years ago.

The big run for LSU came right after Amoore made her last 3-pointer with 7:52 left for a 62-57 lead. The Hokies didn’t make another basket until King’s 3 with 1:19 left.

“I think we had a few crucial turnovers as well as missed box-outs where they scored on second-chance opportunities,” Traylor said. “I think that’s just what it came down to really.”

Morris had opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer for LSU, then had a driving layup before Reese had a layup after a steal by Johnson. That quick 7-0 run prompted a timeout by Hokies coach Kenny Brooks.

“They hit a couple of shots, gave them a little bit of momentum. They hit a 3 right off the bat … kind of changed the momentum,” Brooks said. “They were aggressive in the passing lanes. But they also were a little bit more aggressive down low.”

Virginia Tech had ended the first half with its own 11-0 run to lead for the first time, at 34-32 on Traylor’s driving layup with 53 seconds left.

But it was the Tigers who led for 17:55 of the first half with the Hokies getting off to a slow start shooting – they missed eight of their first nine shots – that an LSU cheerleader had an assist even before they officially had a shot.

King was charged with a turnover on a ball that hit the rim and bounced over the top of the backboard and got stuck there. With encouragement from officials and others at that end, a male cheerleader lifted up a female cheerleader, who knocked the ball down.

Unbeaten Gamecocks, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark star in women’s Final Four

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SEATTLE ⁠— An undefeated South Carolina team led by star Aliyah Boston and guided by vaunted Dawn Staley, an Iowa squad that features high-scoring Caitlin Clark and the return of LSU and flashy coach Kim Mulkey headline the women’s Final Four this weekend.

Virginia Tech is the newcomer to the group as the Hokies are making their first appearance in the national semifinals. Hokies coach Kenny Brooks became the third Black male coach to take a team to the Final Four in women’s basketball history.

All of the women’s basketball world will descend on Dallas this week as the Division I, II and III championships will be held there. It’s only the second time that all three divisions will have their title games in the same place.

Staley and the Gamecocks are looking to become the 10th team to go through a season unbeaten and the first to repeat as champions since UConn won four in a row from 2013-16. South Carolina advanced to its third consecutive national semifinals and fifth since 2015 thanks to another superb effort by Boston, the reigning AP Player of the Year. The three-time All-American had 22 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Maryland on Monday night.

Next up for the Gamecocks is Iowa and the sensational Clark. She helped the Hawkeyes reach their first Final Four in 30 years with a game for the ages in the regional semifinals on Sunday night. The junior guard had the first 40-point triple-double in NCAA history in the win over Louisville.

The Gamecocks have the experience edge having reached the Final Four so often with this group. No one on Iowa’s roster was alive the last time the team advanced to the game’s biggest stage. C. Vivian Stringer was the coach of that team in 1993 that reached the Final Four before losing to Ohio State in overtime.

“It is like a storybook, but it’s kind of been like that for us all year long,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “I mean, we have had — honestly, we keep talking about destiny and how it’s supposed to happen and it is happening. But I’m so happy for Caitlin. I can remember sitting in her living room and her saying, I want to go to a Final Four. And I’m saying, We can do it together. And she believed me. And so I’m very thankful for that.”

The other game will pit LSU against Virginia Tech. The Tigers are making their first trip to the national semifinals since 2008 when Sylvia Fowles dominated the paint. Now LSU is led by another stellar post player in Angel Reese.

She broke Fowles’ record for double-doubles in a season earlier this year and was key in the Tigers’ win over Miami in the Elite Eight.

Reese, who transferred in this season from Maryland, has made Mulkey’s second season at the school a special one. She came to LSU with a resume headlined by three NCAA titles from her time at Baylor along with some flamboyant sideline looks such as her silver-shimmering jacket with white pants that she wore in the Elite Eight game Sunday.

“What really makes me smile is not cutting that net down,” Mulkey said. “It’s looking around out there at all those LSU people, looking at that team I get to coach experience it for the first time.”

LSU’s opponent is also making its first appearance at the Final Four. The Hokies have had the best season in school history, winning the ACC crown as well under Brooks. He joined former Syracuse Quentin Hillsman and Cheyney State’s Winthrop “Windy” McGriff.

The significance has not been lost on Brooks, who hopes he can inspire other Black male coaches to get more opportunities.

The Hokies run to the national semifinals has been led by star post Elizabeth Kitley and sharpshooter Georgia Amoore. The pair combined for 49 points in the win over Ohio State in the Elite Eight.

March Madness: Top-seed Virginia Tech routs Chattanooga

William Howard-USA TODAY Sports
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BLACKSBURG, Va. – Georgia Amoore scored 22 points, Elizabeth Kitley added 12, and top-seeded Virginia Tech rolled to a 58-33 victory over No. 16 seed Chattanooga on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament’s Seattle Region.

Kitley added 14 rebounds while Amoore hit five 3-pointers for the Hokies (28-4), who won their 12th consecutive game.

Yazz Wazeerud-Din and Raven Thompson led Chattanooga (20-13) with 10 points each. The Moccasins were held to their lowest point total of the season.

Virginia Tech, which is making its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, never trailed. The Hokies led by one late in the first quarter, but used a 17-0 run bridging the first and second quarters to pull away. Amoore scored eight points in that run.

Chattanooga, which was making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017, struggled against an aggressive Virginia Tech defense. The Moccasins made just six field goals in the first half and shot 28.6% (14 of 49) for the game.

Kayana Traylor had 12 points, and Taylor Soule finished with 10 for the Hokies, who shot 47.9% (23 of 48).

TIP-INS

Chattanooga: The Moccasins had a great season under first-year coach Shawn Poppie, winning 20 games and taking the Southern Conference tournament championship. Before taking over, he was an assistant for Kenny Brooks at Virginia Tech. The Mocs return most of their roster heading into next season and will be a contender to win the league title again.

Virginia Tech: Virginia Tech’s offense gets the accolades, but its defense has been its strength in its 12-game winning streak. The Hokies have held eight consecutive opponents to under 41% shooting from the floor and 11 of 12.

UP NEXT:

Virginia Tech: The Hokies will take on the Southern Cal-South Dakota State winner on Sunday.

March Madness 2023: Bubble teams heading to Selection Sunday

Amy Kontras-USA TODAY Sports
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March Madness is coming up fast. Here is what to know, along with some key games to watch and who’s on the bubble ahead of Selection Sunday for the women’s NCAA Tournament:

KEY DATES

Eight conference tournament championship games were played over the weekend, leaving 24 more this week to determine the remaining automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Tournament. There will be nine conference title games on Saturday and five more on Sunday, the day the full 68-team NCAA bracket is revealed.

– The Big 12 Tournament begins Thursday in Kansas City, Missouri, with the championship game Sunday.

– No. 4 Virginia Tech (27-4) won the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina.

– No. 2 Iowa (26-6) won the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis.

– No. 20 Washington State (23-10) won the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas.

– No. 1 South Carolina (32-0) won the SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina.

WHO ELSE IS IN

Saint Louis (17-17, Atlantic 10), Gardner-Webb (29-4, Big South), Tennessee Tech (22-9, Ohio Valley) and Chattanooga (20-12, Southern).

MARCH MADNESS

Selection Sunday is March 12, when brackets for First Four games (March 15-16) and first- and second-round games (March 17-20) are set at multiple sites across the country.

Sweet 16 weekend brings a twist this year for the women’s teams: There will be two regional sites instead of four, with Greenville, South Carolina, and Seattle each hosting eight teams.

Where is the women’s Final Four? In Dallas, where the semifinals are March 31 and the championship game is April 2.

As it happens, the men’s Final Four is a four-hour drive down the road in Houston that same weekend.

BETTING GUIDE

Who’s going to win the national championship? The betting favorites as of this week to reach the Final Four are defending national champion South Carolina, Indiana, UConn and Iowa, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The NCAA’s most recent seeding prediction is a little different – Stanford and Utah instead of UConn and Iowa – and the top quartet in the AP Top 25 poll is: South Carolina, Iowa, Indiana and Virginia Tech. So buckle up!

BUBBLE WATCH

West Virginia (19-10) had lost five of seven games before finishing the regular season with a three-game winning streak. Another win or two at the Big 12 Tournament would likely leave no question about getting into the NCAA Tournament. Dawn Plitzuweit is in her first season with the Mountaineers. She took South Dakota to the last three NCAA tourneys, reaching the Sweet 16 last season.

Arkansas (21-12) opened the SEC Tournament with a win over Missouri but lost 93-66 to top-ranked undefeated defending national champion South Carolina in the quarterfinals. The Razorbacks now wait to see if they will make their third consecutive NCAA Tournament, something they last did from 2001-03.

GAMES TO WATCH

Besides the tournament championship games Tuesday in the Horizon League, Summit League and West Coast Conference:

Kansas (19-10) vs. TCU in a first-round game at the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday. The Jayhawks beat TCU in the regular-season finale Saturday and are still trying to ensure consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since 2012-13.

Ivy League semifinal games Friday: Princeton (21-5) vs. Penn, and Columbia (23-4) vs. Harvard. The games will be played at Princeton, where the top-seeded Tigers beat Penn 71-52 last week to win their 13th game in a row and clinch a share of their fifth consecutive Ivy League regular-season title. Co-champ Columbia has a five-game winning streak since losing to Princeton on Feb. 4. The Ivy League title game is Saturday.

Pedulla’s 22 points lift Virginia Tech past No. 6 Virginia

Lee Luther Jr.-USA TODAY Sports
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BLACKSBURG, Va. – Sean Pedulla scored 22 points and Virginia Tech beat No. 6 Virginia 74-68 on Saturday, snapping the Cavaliers’ seven-game winning streak.

Pedulla made 6 of 13 from the floor as the Hokies (14-10, 4-8 Atlantic Coast Conference) posted their biggest win of the season. He added 8 of 9 from the free-throw line. Justin Mutts added 17 points.

Virginia Tech never trailed and shot 50% from the floor for the fourth straight game.

“There was no pouting (after the Miami loss). Just back to practice the next day,” Virginia Tech coach Mike Young said of his team, which lost 92-83 to No. 23 Miami on Tuesday. “Yeah, we’ve got Virginia coming in. Yes, in-state and all of that stuff. We’ve got another opportunity to play another really good opponent. We’ve got a chance to play Virginia Tech basketball and fight and compete and adhere to the things that are important to us – and we did that by and large on both ends of the floor.”

Jayden Gardner’s 20 points led Virginia (17-4, 9-3), which saw its usually stingy defense struggle. Kihei Clark finished with 17 points for the Cavaliers, while Reece Beekman had 15. Armaan Franklin, who had scored in double figures in 10 straight games, had six.

The Cavaliers tied the game at 38 on Gardner’s basket with 15:09 remaining, but the Hokies outscored Virginia 17-7 over the next seven minutes and never looked back.

Mutts hit 7 of 11 from the floor and added eight assists and four rebounds. Grant Basile had 14 points and Hunter Cattoor scored all 10 of his points in the second half for the Hokies.

“The heart was there, but to win in this setting against a team that’s playing good basketball, and Tech is, and they’ve got the players, you’ve got to be hard and smart,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “You can’t just be all hard. We were (hard and smart) for stretches, and they made us make some adjustments that helped a little bit, but they made the big shots.”

TIP-INS

Virginia: The Cavaliers suffered a rare poor outing on the defensive end, and it cost them. They led the ACC in scoring defense (60.2 ppg) going in, but allowed the Hokies to score 74 points and shoot 50.9% (27 of 53) from the floor. The Hokies became just the third team this season to shoot better than 50% against Virginia and scored 40 points in the paint.

“They run a lot of action, whether it’s dribble handoffs, fakes, they keep you on your toes, and it takes an incredible, and I think disciplined (effort) to keep them in front and keep them out of the paint,” Bennett said.

Virginia Tech: After losing eight of their previous 10 games, the Hokies needed a big win to help their thin NCAA Tournament resume. Registering 19 assists and turning the ball over just eight times were keys.

“Obviously, we keep up with stuff throughout the year, like `Oh, this would be a huge win on our resume,”‘ Pedulla said. “We do think about (the NCAA Tournament), and we obviously want to get there again. We know our team’s capable of it. We’re focused on it and we’re just trying to stack those wins on top of each other. I think this win definitely helps us.”

POLL IMPLICATIONS

The Cavaliers were one-point underdogs going into the game, so they shouldn’t drop more than a few spots in Monday’s poll.

UP NEXT

Virginia: Hosts N.C. State on Tuesday.

Virginia Tech: Takes on Boston College in Blacksburg on Wednesday.

Virginia Tech beats Duke 78-75, snaps 7-game slide

Lee Luther Jr.-USA TODAY Sports
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BLACKSBURG, Va. – Grant Basile scored 15 of his 24 points in the second half, Sean Pedulla had 16 points and five assists and Virginia Tech beat Duke 78-75 on Monday night to snap a seven-game losing streak.

Virginia Tech (12-8, 2-7 ACC) hadn’t won since topping Grambling on Dec. 17. The Hokies are now 5-1 in their last six match-ups with Duke at Cassell Coliseum.

After a timeout with 35.3 seconds remaining, Virginia Tech dribbled down the clock before Michael Collins Jr. made a jumper from the free-throw line for a 77-75 lead. Duke’s Tyrese Proctor was short on an open 3-pointer and Collins was fouled. Collins made 1 of 2 at the line with 3.9 seconds to cap the scoring.

Duke attempted a half-court pass, but Virginia Tech guard Hunter Cattoor intercepted it and ran out the clock.

Cattoor finished with 15 points, on five 3-pointers, and two steals for Virginia Tech. Collins had six points.

Kyle Filipowski scored a career-high 29 and recorded his 10th double-double this season with 10 rebounds for Duke (14-6, 5-4). Proctor and Dariq Whitehead added 10 points apiece. Whitehead missed most of the second half with an apparent leg injury and was on crutches at the end of the game with a wrap around his lower left leg.

Duke went four-plus minutes without a field goal late in the second half, making just two of its final 10 shots. Proctor drained a 3-pointer with 38.9 seconds left, snapping a string of six misses from distance for Duke, to tie it at 75-all.

Both teams play again on Saturday. Virginia Tech hosts Syracuse and Duke plays at Georgia Tech.