Best Stat Lines
Leigha Brown (No. 12 Michigan) against No. 16 Ohio State – 36 points, 9 rebounds
In a disappointing loss to No. 16 Ohio State, Leigha Brown prevailed, scoring a career high 36 points. During the pregame, Brown was honored for hitting 1,000 points in her career with the Wolverines. She surely lived up to her strong offensive skills in the game when she dropped 21 points in the first half to keep Michigan alongside Ohio State’s power. Brown was the only exception to the Wolverines lacking offense which resulted in them losing the game. The senior guard has been a huge aspect of why Michigan is ranked in the Top-25 and it looks like nothing is stopping her.
Shaina Pellington (No. 14 Arizona) against then-No. 4 Utah – 35 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals
Shaina Pellington hit the first 11 shots that she took against then-No. 4 Utah which led to a career high 35 points. This game for Arizona marked their first win over a Top-5 team in conference play since they defeated Stanford in 2020. Pellington was 13-for-18 from the field, making 8-of-11 free throws, also adding eight rebounds and five steals. The senior guard shined on all sides of the court and was a force for Arizona against Utah. After her performances from last weekend, Pellington was named Pac-12 Player of the Week. Arizona has emerged as one of the top teams in the country as they keep winning statement games and Pellington is a huge part behind all that madness.
Ta’Niya Latson (No. 23 Florida State) against Georgia Tech – 31 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals
To lead No. 24 Florida State to a win against Georgia Tech, Ta’Niya Laston dropped 31 points, adding six rebounds and three steals. The freshman guard shot 10-for-16, went 9-for-10 in free throws, being a huge force for the Seminoles to get the 80-66 victory. After the win, FSU posted their best home record since the 2015-16 season, finishing at 14-1. Despite Latson’s slump of not having a 20-point performance in nine games, she still sits seventh in the nation in scoring, averaging 22.1 points per game (PPG). Additionally, she recorded her collegiate seventh 30-point game this season which also happens to be her second against Georgia Tech.
Aneesah Morrow (DePaul) against No. 14 Villanova – 29 points, 19 rebounds, 4 steals
Although DePaul is not ranked in the Top 25 teams, Aneesah Morrow has been playing up with all the best in the country. She is 4th in the nation in scoring, averaging 25.7 PPG and sixth in the country in rebounds, averaging 12.3 per game. Against Villanova, Morrow recorded a double-double with 29 points and 19 rebounds. The sophomore guard kept DePaul on the same level as the Wildcats, even with Maddy Siegrist’s usual offensive performance having 28 points. At the beginning of the week, Morrow was named Big East Player of the Week which is her fourth being acknowledged this season. This game against Villanova was her fourth straight game with a double-double. She also leads the Big East in rebounds and is second in scoring. Overall, Morrow’s talents should not be overlooked as she could potentially be a candidate for National Player of the Year after this season with DePaul.
Angel Reese (No. 3 LSU) against Florida – 25 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks
After her dominant performances against Ole Miss and Florida, Angel Reese was named SEC Player of the Week. This makes for her sixth Play of the Week honor this season, which is the most ever by a player in a single season. Against Florida, Reese was the first SEC player in the last 20 seasons to score 25 points with 16 rebounds and five assists in a conference game. From the start, the sophomore forward controlled the floor, having nine points in the first five minutes of the game leading to her ninth first half double-double of the season. Ending it off with her 25th double-double of the year, Reese is on a roll for the No. 3 LSU Tigers.
Best Games
No. 1 South Carolina survives Ole Miss
There’s been a pattern of South Carolina having slow starts at road games, a pattern that continued against Ole Miss when they were almost handed their first loss of the season. Throughout the match, Ole Miss tied the game seven times and even had a lead twice. This all led to the Rebels tying the game at 55 points with just seconds left in the game and South Carolina not being able to capitalize on the turnover by Ole Miss guard Marquesha Davis. This was just the second time that South Carolina was forced into overtime, the last time being back in November against No. 2 Stanford. Star Aliyah Boston made clutch free throws in overtime behind Zia Cooke’s thrilling efforts. At the buzzer, South Carolina remained undefeated, surviving Ole Miss 64-57.
Then-No. 18 Arizona upsets then-No. 4 Utah
In a Pac-12 matchup, then-No. 4 Utah was upset by then-No. 18 Arizona. The first quarter was all Arizona but Utah came to life in the second quarter with an offensive push. Despite that, the Wildcats were still able to remain in control of the game, going into the halftime break leading 44-40. In the third quarter, Arizona held Utah to just 13 points as they outscored them 19-13. From then, the Wildcats never looked back and brought their momentum to the fourth quarter to seal the win 82-72. Shaina Pellington was the force that kept Arizona on top as she scored 35 points with many other contributions that carried them to victory.
No. 3 Stanford pasts No. 17 UCLA
With a special guest in the audience, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry witnessed god-sister Cameron Brink lead the way for No. 3 Stanford as they defeated No. 17 UCLA 71-66. Brink scored 25 points with six rebounds and made all of her 15 attempted free throws. UCLA started off very slow on offense shooting just 3-for-11 and going over five minutes without a basket in the second quarter. Despite that, their efforts picked up in the second half when their offense woke up, resulting in them taking a 51-50 lead going into the fourth quarter. Brink stayed on top of Stanford’s defensive game, having two blocks which gives her 102 blocks on the season. Brink sealed the game for Stanford with a made free throw in the final seconds of the game. Haley Jones was also a part of Stanford’s success scoring 18 points with six rebounds. Stanford has immense amounts of talent on the court and they are definitely one of the favorites to be the last team standing at the end of March.
No. 7 Maryland defeats No. 6 Iowa 96-68
In a Top-10 SEC matchup, No. 7 Maryland handed No. 6 Iowa their biggest loss of the season, defeating them by 28 points. The biggest force on Iowa is known to be Cailtin Clark, but the Terps held her to just 18 points which made Iowa struggle significantly. On the other hand, Briane Alexander scored a season-high 24 points with six 3-pointers for Maryland. The Terps are on a five-game winning streak after their last loss to Iowa on Feb. 2, a game where Clark dropped 42 points. This time around, Maryland capitalized on their last matchup and pressured the Hawkeyes for the full 40 minutes of play. In the second quarter, Maryland went on a 22-2 run then scored 30 points in the fourth quarter to smooth sail their way past Iowa 96-68.
