The Big 12 Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament continued with four games during second-round action at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.
The second-round results included:
Game 5: No. 5 K-State 80, No. 13 UCF 65
Game 6: No. 9 Colorado 61, No. 8 Arizona 58
Game 7: No. 7 Iowa State 96, No. 15 Arizona State 88
Game 8: No. 14 Texas Tech 75, No. 6 Utah 64
Friday’s quarterfinal games will include:
Game 9: No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 5 Kansas State, 11 a.m. CT, ESPNU
Game 10: No. 1 TCU vs. No. 9 Colorado, 1:30 p.m. CT, ESPNU
Game 11: No. 2 Baylor vs. No. 7 Iowa State, 5:30 p.m. CT, ESPN+
Game 12: No. 3 Oklahoma State vs. No. 14 Texas Tech, 8 p.m. CT, ESPN+
Here are three takeaways from the latest day of women’s basketball action.
WELL, THAT WAS UPSETTING
For three games, the second round went pretty much to form. Yes, Colorado beat Arizona in a 9-8 game, but that was basically a 50-50 game. The higher seeds won the other two games.
Then came Texas Tech and Utah. I felt the top six seeds had a chance to win this tournament, and that meant the No. 6 Utes.
But the Lady Raiders had other ideas.
Texas Tech reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 2019 with its win over Utah. This was the biggest upset of the tournament to this point. It was the Lady Raiders’ third straight win. It also got them above .500 at 17-16, and if you’re thinking about non-NCAA Tournament postseason play, the Lady Raiders now have a good chance of getting an invite to the WBIT or the WNIT.
Bailey Maupin, again, was sterling from the free-throw line, going 11-of-11 and scoring 22 points. But, when Utah double-teamed her on an inbounds play with about 40 seconds left, Tech coach Krista Gerlich drew up a play to get Jasmine Shavers the ball so she could be fouled. She’s an 85% foul shooter. She made both. The Lady Raiders went 16-for-16 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter. No getting past that.
Gianna Kneepkens had 23 points for Utah, but she didn’t have much help. The Utes are going to the NCAA Tournament regardless of the loss.
But, for the Lady Raiders? They’ll be a really interesting matchup for Oklahoma State on Friday night.
IOWA STATE POURS IT ON
When I covered last year’s tournament, Iowa State’s Addy Brown hit three baskets in the second quarter of the Cyclones’ quarterfinal win that were critical in that win. They were forgotten about, but I asked coach Bill Fennelly about the timing of those baskets. He said that Brown had an innate sense of knowing when the moment mattered. She wanted the ball when the moment mattered.
Well, apparently every minute of Thursday’s game mattered. She had 41 points in the Cyclones’ victory over Arizona State. That included 13-of-23 shooting, five 3-pointers and 10-of-11 shooting from the free-throw line.
A volume scorer with a high shooting percentage? That works.
By the way, Audi Crooks is a sophomore.
BARNES ON THE BIG 12
Like last year’s tournament one of the themes in questions for coaches and players is what the Big 12 Tournament is like as opposed to each team’s former conference.
This year it’s the four corners schools, who all came from the Pac-12. Arizona coach Adia Barnes was asked that question after the Wildcats lost to Colorado.
“I think the tournament was run well,” she said. “I love Kansas City, I definitely love the BBQ. I don’t love the cold weather, but I love the BBQ, but I think everything was ran well. This league has been very competitive. I think it’s even more competitive than I anticipated. Coming from the Pac-12, it was a gauntlet last year, but I think the top part of this league and even just the whole league is one of the best in the country, and I think it’s ran like one of the best, so definitely first-class in every way.”
Barnes is entering the final year of her contract, one that was for $5.85 million over five years. That deal was signed under former athletic director Dave Hecke and right after the Wildcats went to the national championship game. Her status for next year might be worth watching, per Jason Scheer of Wildcat Authority.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
