Tag: Iowa Hawkeyes

LSU’s Angel Reese takes a shot at officiating during women’s national championship

Angel Reese didn’t seem too happy with some calls in the first half of Sunday’s game between South Carolina and Iowa.

South Carolina capped off its perfect 38-0 season on Sunday afternoon with an 87-75 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes.

While the Gamecocks ultimately pulled away to a decisive win, it was tight for much of the game, and they even found themselves in an early hole. The officiating in the early minutes of the game seemed to favor Iowa, and for LSU star [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag], it was a familiar sight.

Reese seemed to take a shot at the refs during the first half in a post on social media.

“I see how this game is about to go smh,” she said in the post.

She later said she had typed up several posts but ultimately deleted them.

Whether the officiating favored the Hawkeyes in the first half, South Carolina ultimately prevailed as coach Dawn Staley won her third national championship and the second in the last three years.

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March Madness: Championship Game strategy for the $2.5K USA TODAY’s Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool

Win $2.5K in the Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool: National Championship Game pick and prediction.

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The 2024 Women’s NCAA Tournament wraps up Sunday at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Only 53 entries in USA TODAY’s Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool contest remain out of the 3,754 who signed up.

The tournament favorite South Carolina Gamecocks (37-0) meet the Iowa Hawkeyes (34-4) for all the marbles in the Women’s NCAA Tournament Championship Game Sunday at 3 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN).

On Friday, No. 1 overall seed South Carolina took care of NC State 78-59 with C Kamilla Cardoso going for 22 points with 11 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. The superstar center was a very efficient 10-for-12 from the field, and she was one of three South Carolina players to go for double-digit points.

Gamecocks G Raven Johnson added 13 points, with most of her damage coming on 3 triples, while G Te-Hina Paopao was good for 10 points, 6 assists and a steal, while knocking down a pair of 3-pointers.

South Carolina shot 50.0% (30-for-60) from the field, including 42.1% (8-for-19) from behind the 3-point line. It managed to get to the free-throw line just 4 times, but it converted 4 shots.

Iowa advanced to the title game for the 2nd consecutive season, easing by UConn 71-69. With 10 seconds to go, the Huskies trailed 70-69 and had the ball, but a controversial offensive foul on F Aaliyah Edwards against G Gabbie Marshall gave the Hawkeyes the ball back with 3.9 seconds to go. G Caitlin Clark was fouled with 3.5 seconds left, hit the 1st free throw and missed the 2nd, but G Sydney Affolter came down with the offensive board and Iowa hung on for the 2-point win.

The Hawkeyes were just 45.8% (27-for-59) from the floor, while going 28.0% (7-for-25) from behind the 3-point line and 71.4% (10-for-14) from the charity stripe. Clark didn’t have her best game but finished with 21 points on 7-of-18 shooting, while going 3-for-11 from downtown. F Hannah Stuelke actually led the Hawkeyes with a game-high 23 points on an efficient 9-of-12 shooting performance.

South Carolina is No. 1 and Iowa is No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

As for the USA TODAY’s Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool contest, I had 3 correct picks in the opening round for 12 points but stumbled in the 2nd round and was eliminated when 4th-seeded Kansas State lost to 5th-seeded Colorado. Another 4-seed, Indiana, won for me that round, but the KSU pick did me in.

Despite the loss, I still offered picks in an attempt to help you in your chase for the $2.5K 1st-place prize. Only having to make 1 pick the remaining rounds, rebounded with LSU (3 points) in the Sweet 16 upsetting UCLA in a 78-69 thriller. In the Elite 8, I won with UConn (3 points) against USC. And I won with Iowa (1 point) in the Friday’s semifinal.

As an employee, I wasn’t eligible to win this contest, but there was no rule against me helping you.

A rules reminder: Remaining entries are required to pick the National Championship Game winner — if you still have an eligible team to select.

Points are earned equal to your winning teams’ seeds.

Here is my strategy of which team to pick for Sunday’s championship.

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National Championship Game pick

PICK: SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS

I intentionally held off from selecting South Carolina in the earlier rounds in the event it managed to avoid the upset and get to the title game. The strategy worked — excluding my darn K-State pick in the 2nd round.

After selecting Iowa in the Final Four, I didn’t have any other choice for the this round anyway.

Clark and the Hawkeyes are back in the National Championship Game for the 2nd consecutive season.

Unfortunately for them, coach Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks are on a mission, will finish 38-0 and grab the title as Iowa will once again be the bridesmaid — the Hawkeyes lost to LSU in last year’s title game.

Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin /
College Sports Wire: Men’s hoops / Women’s hoops / High School

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How to buy Iowa vs. South Carolina NCAA Women’s National Championship game tickets

Want to watch South Carolina vs. Iowa in person? Limited tickets for the Women’s NCAA title game still remain for as little as $345.

After almost three weeks of madness, chalk reigns supreme in the women’s bracket as No. 1 South Carolina and No. 1 Iowa will play for a national championship.

Undefeated South Carolina dominated the second half and defeated No. 3 North Carolina State 78-59 to secure the first spot in the National Championship Game.

Iowa held on to win a roller coaster of a Final Four game against No. 3 UConn 71-69.

SHOP: South Carolina vs. Iowa tickets

The undisputed top team in the country in the Gamecocks taking on the consensus best player in the country in Caitlin Clark, what more could you want…besides a ticket?

The National Championship Game will be played in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday, April 7 at 3:00 p.m. EDT, and limited tickets still remain.

Don’t miss the chance to see a champion crowned and a historic moment in Caitlin Clark’s final collegiate game.

At the time of publication, National Championship Game tickets were still available for as little as $345.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop South Carolina vs. Iowa tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/dexnDOY”]

How to buy Iowa vs. South Carolina NCAA Women’s National Championship game tickets

Want to watch South Carolina vs. Iowa in person? Limited tickets for the Women’s NCAA title game still remain for as little as $345.

After almost three weeks of madness, chalk reigns supreme in the women’s bracket as No. 1 South Carolina and No. 1 Iowa will play for a national championship.

Undefeated South Carolina dominated the second half and defeated No. 3 North Carolina State 78-59 to secure the first spot in the National Championship Game.

Iowa held on to win a roller coaster of a Final Four game against No. 3 UConn 71-69.

SHOP: South Carolina vs. Iowa tickets

The undisputed top team in the country in the Gamecocks taking on the consensus best player in the country in Caitlin Clark, what more could you want…besides a ticket?

The National Championship Game will be played in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday, April 7 at 3:00 p.m. EDT, and limited tickets still remain.

Don’t miss the chance to see a champion crowned and a historic moment in Caitlin Clark’s final collegiate game.

At the time of publication, National Championship Game tickets were still available for as little as $345.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop South Carolina vs. Iowa tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/dexnDOY”]

March Madness: Final Four strategy for the $2.5K USA TODAY’s Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool

Win $2.5K in the Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool: Final Four pick and prediction.

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The 2024 Women’s NCAA Tournament is on to the Final Four, starting Friday from Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Only 88 entries in USA TODAY’s Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool contest remain out of the 3,754 who signed up.

The semifinals are Friday on ESPN with the winners facing off in Sunday’s championship at 3 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN).

NC State (31-6) meets tournament favorite South Carolina (36-0) in the early-window game at 7 p.m. ET. The nightcap will feature UConn (33-5) and G Paige Bueckers against Iowa (33-4) and G Caitlin Clark at an approximate tip time of 9 p.m. ET.

Monday night was one for the ages, as all eyes were on women’s basketball, especially for the battle between LSU and Iowa. Clark was on another plane, draining 9 3-pointers in an amazing shooting performance, as she continues to re-write the record books. Clark ended up with 41 points in 40 minutes, while also doling out 12 assists with 7 rebounds, 2 steals and a blocked shot as the Hawkeyes eliminated the defending champion Tigers 94-87.

Clark and the Hawkeyes will have their hands full with Bueckers and the Huskies, who showed freshman phenom G Juju Watkins and USC, the No. 1 seed in their region, the door in an exciting Elite 8 matchup.

As for the USA TODAY’s Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool contest, I made 3 correct picks in the 1st round for 12 points but stumbled in the 2nd round and was eliminated. No. 4 seed Indiana won for me, but my other pick of 4th-seeded Kansas State lost to 5th-seeded Colorado.

Despite the loss, I still offered picks for the Sweet 16, hoping to assist you on your chase for the $2.5K 1st-place prize. Only having to make 1 pick this round, I rebounded with LSU (3 points) upsetting UCLA Saturday in a 78-69 thriller. For what it’s worth, I won with UConn (3 points) in the Elite 8 against USC.

As an employee, I wasn’t eligible to win this contest, but there’s no rule against me helping you.

A rules reminder: Remaining entries are required to pick 1 team in the Final Four and then the National Championship Game winner — if you still have an eligible team to select.

Points are earned equal to your winning teams’ seeds.

Here is my strategy of which team to pick for the Final Four.

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Final Four pick

PICK 1: IOWA HAWKEYES (33-4)

Who they play: UConn Huskies (33-5)

When: Friday, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)

I’ve already picked NC State and UConn in this Tournament, so I am left with just 2 top seeds. There just aren’t a lot of points available in the Final Four. If you need points, you might want to roll the dice on a No. 3 seed if you haven’t picked that team yet.

Iowa-UConn is going to be a fun game. Clark vs. Bueckers will get all of the headlines, but here’s UConn coach Geno Auriemma leading another team to the precipice of a national title, while the Hawkeyes are trying to get back to the championship game — they lost to LSU in the title game a year ago.

UConn was impressive against USC, shooting 48.3% (28-of-58) from the field, including 46.7% (7-of-15) from behind the 3-point line in an 80-73 victory.

If there is an Achilles’ heel, the Huskies managed to go just 63.0% (17-of-27) from the free-throw line, and that simply won’t do in a close game. Plus, UConn was minus-2 in the turnover department, but made up for it by outrebounding USC 42-41, while dishing out 7 more assists to improve to assist-to-turnover ratio.

Along with Clark scoring 41 against LSU, the Hawkeyes were 46.4% (32-of-69) from the field, hitting 41.9% (13-of-31) from behind the 3-point line. G Sydney Affolter hit a pair of triples, and ended up with 16 points and 5 rebounds, while G Kate Martin was good for 21 points and 6 rebounds with 2 steals and a perfect 4-of-4 night from the free-throw line.

Friday against UConn won’t be easy for Iowa, but the Hawkeyes should get back to the title game, setting up a potential classic against South Carolina — as long as the Gamecocks remain undefeated and push past upstart NC State.

Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+

[gambcom-standard rankid=”5″ ]

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin /
College Sports Wire: Men’s hoops / Women’s hoops / High School

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Iowa junior Payton Sandfort declares for 2024 NBA draft, maintains eligibility

Sandfort was named to the All-Big Ten third team after averaging 16.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists as a junior.

Iowa junior forward Payton Sandfort declared for the 2024 NBA draft this week while maintaining his remaining college eligibility, the program announced.

Sandfort was named to the All-Big Ten third team after averaging 16.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists on 37.9% shooting from 3-point range in 34 games. He led the conference in total 3-pointers (94) and ranked eighth in scoring.

The 6-foot-7 standout recorded 11 20-point performances, including a career-high 30 points and 12 rebounds in the Hawkeyes’ first-round win in the NIT. He also became the first player in program history to register a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on Feb. 27.

Sandfort isn’t projected to be drafted, though he will have the opportunity to interview and work out with teams over the pre-draft process. He could also be invited to compete in the G League Elite Camp or draft combine next month in Chicago, Illinois.

The 21-year-old took advantage of a larger role this season, starting every game for the first time in his career. He is highly touted for his ability as a shooter, while he also has ideal size at his position that projects to translate well at the next level.

Sandfort will have the chance to improve his draft positioning over the next several weeks in workouts and other scouting events. However, he could ultimately opt to return to school and look to build on his success this past season.

He has until May 29 to withdraw from the draft and return to school.

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Iowa guard Tony Perkins puts Oregon Ducks among top schools

The Ducks are in the running for a veteran transfer from Iowa.

Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks are working the transfer portal and hoping to land some veteran playmakers this offseason.

They might be headed in the right direction, with former Iowa Hawkeyes point guard Tony Perkins recently cutting his list down to six schools and putting Oregon in the mix.

Perkins is a senior who averaged 14 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game this past season, being named a Second-Team All-Big-12 player. In his career, Perkins averaged 9.3 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game.

According to 247Sports, Perkins is the No. 38 overall player available in the transfer portal this offseason, and the No. 7 point guard.

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LSU-Iowa was most-watched women’s college basketball game of all time

It was also the second-most watched basketball game on ESPN overall since 2012.

The growth of women’s college basketball over the last few years is undeniable, and that trend is visibly reflected in the viewing numbers.

Monday night’s Elite Eight game between LSU and Iowa was the most-watched women’s college basketball game of all time, averaging 12.3 million viewers and peaking at 16.1 million. That shattered the previous record, which was set in last season’s national championship game, which also featured the Tigers and Hawkeyes.

Those numbers aren’t just impressive by women’s basketball standards. The game was the second-most watched basketball game on ESPN, period, since 2012, trailing only Game 7 of the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

This year’s Elite Eight was also the most-watched on record, overall.

While the game didn’t go the way LSU hoped as Caitlin Clark went off for 41 points in a 94-87 revenge win for Iowa, it’s clear that women’s basketball continues to grow its audience, and we’ll see if the Final Four is able to top these numbers.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

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Iowa-LSU championship rematch breaks viewership record

Iowa and LSU shattered their previous record for viewership in the Hawkeyes Elite 8 victory.

On Monday night the Iowa Hawkeyes and LSU Tigers women’s basketball teams faced off in a rematch of the 2023 NCAA women’s national championship game. That game set viewership records with an average of 9.9 million viewers and peaked at 12.6 million.

The Elite 8 showdown shattered those numbers. According to a report from Scooby Axson of USA TODAY Sports, this game was the most-watched women’s basketball game ever with 16.1 million viewers.

According to ESPN, the game drew the second-most viewers of any basketball game since 2012.

Caitlin Clark got a bit of redemption from last year after pouring in 41 points with 7 rebounds and 12 assists. She continues to set records in her swan song season as Clark is set to take her talents to the WNBA following the season.

Likewise, Angel Reese of LSU announced that she would also head to the professional level after the Tigers’ defeat at the hands of Iowa.

Next up for the Hawkeyes will be another rematch. Clark and Iowa will take on Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies in the Final Four. The Huskies defeated Iowa 92-72 in the 2021 Sweet 16. Clark scored 21 in that game while Bueckers scored 18.

Recently, UConn’s head coach Geno Auriemma called Bueckers the “best player in the country.” It will all get settled on the court in this matchup of two basketball powerhouses. The winner will face off with the winner of South Carolina-North Carolina State in the national championship on Sunday.

LSU’s Kim Mulkey reveals postgame comments to Iowa’s Caitlin Clark: ‘I sure am glad you leaving’

Kim Mulkey seems to be relieved that Caitlin Clark is off to the WNBA.

LSU came up short in its hopes of returning to the Final Four in Monday night’s Elite Eight loss to Iowa.

In a rematch of last year’s national championship, which was won by the Tigers, the Hawkeyes ultimately got their revenge this time around in a 94-87 victory that propelled it into the national semifinal.

Caitlin Clark was the star of the show, per usual. With [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] guarding her most of the game, the Tigers had no answers as she dropped 41 points in a game Iowa controlled for most of the second half.

After the game, [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] was spotted talking to Clark in the handshake line, and after the game, she revealed her message for the likely top WNBA draft pick.

“I sure am glad you leaving,” Mulkey recalled saying. “I said, ‘Girl, you something else. I’ve never seen anything like it.'”

Mulkey also elaborated on the Tigers’ strategy in defending Clark, calling back to what she said before the game: You can’t stop her, you can only hope to contain her.

LSU clearly failed to do that.

“There’s not a lot of strategy,” Mulkey said. “You’ve got to guard her, nobody else seems to be able to guard her. We didn’t even guard her last year when we beat them. She’s just a generational player, and she just makes everybody around her better. That’s what the great ones do.”

Clark, like [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag], had the opportunity to return to college basketball next season. However, she announced last month that she would not remain at Iowa for a fifth season and will instead enter the draft, where she is projected to go first overall to the Indiana Fever.

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

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