Game One: Maryland (19-12) 82 Ohio State (25-5) 61
Maryland takes out the number one seed Ohio State in a rout behind a very balanced effort led by Brad Sellers’ daughter, first team All-B1G Ten player Shyanne Sellers.
Sellers leads the way with 25 points on nine of seventeen from the floor and a solid seven of ten from the charity stripe. Sellers over-all effort inspired Maryland to the win.
Sellers received solid support from Brinae Alexander’s 19 points on seven of sixteen from the floor included among them a five for thirteen effort from behind the arc.
Jakia Brown Turner, the North Carolina State portal transfer continued her dominance with nineteen points and recorded nine rebounds.
Faith Masonius led the Terps with eleven boards and scored fifteen too. Faith also connected on seven of eight from the floor.
Allie Kubek added seven rebounds and accounted for two blocked Buckeye shots.
Maryland shot 42.5% percent from the floor on 31 of 73 shots, that included 18 assists on those 31 makes. The Terps also were fourteen out of seventeen from the charity stripe.
Ohio State got off to a good start with a 17 to 12 first quarter advantage and still led at the break, 30 to 28.
The third quarter was the difference in the game where Maryland outscored Ohio State 27 to 22 and a 17 to nine advantage in fourth quarter to win going away 82 to 61.
Ohio State were led by Rebeka Mukulasikova’s 16 points and five boards.
Cote McMahon and Jacey Sheldon both had long days for the Buckeyes as McMahon scored 12 points but was only three of seventeen from the floor while Sheldon scored ten points but came up short from behind the arc, a zero for five night.
Taylor Thierry went five of ten from the floor and scored 13 points.
This should place Maryland in the NCAA tournament.
Maryland now moves on to play either Nebraska or Michigan State in the quarterfinals.
Game Two: Nebraska (22-10) 73 Michigan State (22-9) 61
Nebraska used hustle to advance to play Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.
Nebraska took a 26 to 19 into the half and were in pretty good shape headed into the last quarter, leading 62 to 42.
But never underestimate Michigan State. They have had an incredible season under first year coach Robyn Fralick. Fralick replaced the now retired Suzy Merchant.
Michigan State would make their run behind Julia Ayrault.
Ayrault brought the Spartans back in the game with points in the paint and good help from Moira Joiner but Nebraska would get their feet back on the ground and stablize and move onto face Maryland.
Nebraska was led once again by the dynamic duo of Alexis Markowski and Jaz Shelley.
Markowski would lead the Huskers with 22 points on 11 of twenty shots from the field, pull down 12 rebounds and hand out four assists.
As for Jaz, 17 points, five assists and floor command.
Freshman Natalie Potts scored 15 points and hauled in 11 rebounds.
Logan Nissley added eleven points on four of nine shots from the field including three of seven from behind the arc.
Julie Ayrault led State with 25 points on nine of nineteen field goals and five rebounds.
Game Three: Iowa (28-4) 95 Penn State (19-13) 62
Penn State figuratively got hit by a truck, and that truck was the Iowa Hawkeye offense and defense.
Iowa came out at the tip and blitzed Penn State, setting a tone that the Nittany Lions never recovered from in the game.
Kate Martin, Sydney Affolter and Gabbie Marshall lit Penn State up from both inside and outside while Caitlin Clark was content on feeding them the ball.
Clark had a difficult shooting night as she was only two of fourteen from behind the arc but to her credit one of those threes eclipsed Steph Curry’s single season mark while in college.
Clark did score a team high 24 points on connecting on five of nineteen shots and secured a team high ten rebounds and a team high seven assists.
But this night belonged to Sydney Affolter who scored 18 points. Those came from a five for nine night, from the field included a three for four effort behind the three-point line, a perfect five of five from the line, nine rebounds and five assists.
Gabbie Marshall was strong throughout the game as she collected 15 points.
Marshall was five of eight from the floor including a four of seven effort behind the arc. Marshall also recorded three steals.
Kate Martin was efficient as well, 11 points, nine rebounds and leadership.
Taylor McCabe came off the bench to score 15 points on a four of eight night from the three-point area.
Penn State was led by Lelani Kapinus with 19 points and Ashley Owusu 18.
Iowa now moves on into the semi-finals against either Indiana or Michigan.
Game Four: Michigan (19-12) 69 Indiana (24-5) 56
Michigan came from seventeen behind to win going away in the final quarter-final game.
Michigan outscored Indiana at one point in the second half outscored the Hoosiers 38 to 10.
Lauren Hansen’s, back-to-back makes from behind the arc, gave the Wolverines a lead they would never relinquish.
Also huge in the game was the play of Laila Phelia who toasted the Hoosiers with 30 points on twelve of twenty-two from the field and six of seven from the charity stripe.
Jordan Hobbs was also a factor in the fourth quarter with two big shots to give her ten points on the night. Hobbs also contributed five assists.
Chyra Evans collected six rebounds and Cameron Williams was solid once again with ten points.
For Indiana, they ran out of gas during the second half as they were outscored 48 to 21 points.
Sara Scalia was huge in the first half but only scored a deep three in the second half. Scalia scored 14 points but on five of sixteen field goal attempts.
Sydney Parrish scored thirteen points and collected nine rebounds for the Hoosiers.
Chloe Moore-McNeil added ten points and a team high five assists while Yardon Garzon added nine points and eight boards.
McKenzie Holmes was put into the game with the Hoosiers hanging on by a thread but was not effective.
This loss will probably move Indiana on the road in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Michigan moves on to the Semi-final round with Iowa.
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