Duke 81, Holy Cross 44
March 18, 2007
Abby Waner is best known for knocking down 3-pointers. The Duke star made an impression this time by knocking a 3 into the stands. With her near-perfect shooting nights becoming common, it was her improbably emphatic blocked shot at the other end of the court that sent the message to the rest of the NCAA tournament field: Forget that recent loss.
NCAA Tournament Capsules
March 18, 2007
Duke was steamed after its only loss of the season, and someone had to pay. Once again, the Blue Devils took out their frustrations on overmatched Holy Cross. Abby Waner hit six 3-pointers and scored 20 of her 26 points during an overwhelming first half, and top-seeded Duke cruised to an 81-44 rout of the Crusaders on Sunday night in the first round of the Greensboro Regional.
Ohio State girds for still more Big Ten battles
February 27, 2007
For the past two months, No. 5 Ohio State has proven itself to be the best team in the Big Ten. Now the Buckeyes get to prove it all over again. Heading into this week’s conference tournament in Indianapolis, the Buckeyes (26-2, 15-1) risk a lot with very little to gain. A loss and there will likely be a commensurate drop in the rankings and their NCAA tournament seeding.
30th ACC women’s tournament grew from modest beginning
February 27, 2007
The Atlantic Coast Conference women’s basketball tournament took root before a cozy crowd containing primarily the friends and families of the seven participating teams. Women’s college basketball was still in the developmental stage in 1978, only six years after Title IX ordered gender equality in athletics.
No. 3 Connecticut 70, No. 18 Rutgers 44
February 26, 2007
Finishing with a perfect Big East record meant more than usual for Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma and his team. Renee Montgomery scored 21 points to help No. 3 Connecticut finish unbeaten in the conference for the sixth time in school history with a 70-44 victory over No. 18 Rutgers on Monday night. “The other five teams had preseason player of the years and All-America players on them.
No. 23 Marquette 69, St. John’s 60
February 26, 2007
Krystal Ellis scored 19 points to lead No. 23 Marquette to a 69-60 victory over St. Johns Monday night. Christina Quay added 14 points for the Golden Eagles (24-5, 12-4 Big East), who led 31-17 at the half. Kia Wright scored a game-high 23 points for the Red Storm (8-19, 4-12), who lost their third straight game.
West Virginia 76, No. 20 Louisville 71, OT
February 26, 2007
LaQuita Owens scored a career-high 30 points, including seven in overtime, and West Virginia rallied to beat No. 20 Louisville 76-71 Monday night in both teams’ regular-season finale. Olayinka Sanni added 21 points for the Mountaineers (20-9, 11-5 Big East), who trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half and 30-18 at halftime.
Creighton 71, Wichita State 68
February 25, 2007
Two Creighton women scored career highs to help the Bluejays to a 71-68 win over Wichita State on Sunday. The victory secured Creighton (11-16, 8-8) a top-six seed for the upcoming State Farm MVC Tournament. The Bluejays led by as many as 18 with 48 seconds left in the half, but the Shockers (9-17, 4-12) made up much of that after intermission.
No. 7 LSU 70, Alabama 27
February 25, 2007
Sylvia Fowles sat on the bench, talking to a teammate about defense, unaware she had made history in the talent-rich Southeastern Conference. Fowles became the first player to record a double-double in every SEC game for an entire regular season, scoring 12 points and grabbing 14 rebounds on Sunday in No.
No. 1 Duke 67, No. 4 North Carolina 62
February 25, 2007
Seniors Alison Bales and Lindsey Harding led top-ranked Duke to its first unbeaten regular season. Now they’re looking for something bigger — a perfect postseason. Bales had 16 points and 12 rebounds in her final home game and the Blue Devils pulled away late in a 67-62 victory over No. 4 North Carolina to seal the first undefeated season in Atlantic Coast Conference history.
