The SEC-ACC Problem is the right occasion to observe the various Thanksgiving tournaments we noticed final week. This 12 months it exceeded even the best expectations for on-court competitors, intrigue and constructing the muse for the remainder of the season.
These matchups not solely characteristic many ranked groups going through off, however are sometimes checked out by the NCAA event choice committee for energy of schedule and event seeding come March.
Listed here are 5 issues we discovered from the SEC-ACC Problem video games this week:
Notre Dame by no means left
Arguably probably the most star-studded sport over the 2 days befell Thursday night time when the No. 4 Texas Longhorns traveled to South Bend, Indiana to face the No. 10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Coming into the sport, the Preventing Irish had been on the ropes. Final week, then-No. 3 ranked Notre Dame misplaced each of its video games. The primary was in opposition to a TCU Horned Frogs staff that’s one of many hottest in basketball, led by level guard Hailey Van Lith who’s added excessive distribution numbers to an already spectacular scoring potential.
A loss the place nobody might fault the Irish, however then the unranked Utah Utes beat Notre Dame and it regarded just like the Irish had been caught in a droop after defeating No. 3 USC the weekend prior.
On Thursday, Rori Harmon and Madison Booker led the Longhorns to a five-point lead after one quarter and it regarded like Notre Dame’s woes may proceed, however the Irish didn’t waver.
The Notre Dame protection picked up the depth, holding Texas to their lowest level whole in 1 / 4 this season (12) and arrange a second half definitely worth the worth of admission. The lead modified 4 occasions within the closing 10 minutes, and within the 10 seconds either side’ leaders took heart stage.
First up was Harmon, who gave time to her Texas teammates to run a play however the Notre Dame zone was an excessive amount of for the SEC aspect. Harmon took issues into her personal arms, took on a double staff and hit a midrange jumper to tie the sport.
Olivia Miles wouldn’t be outdone, and the senior guard attacked the rim and made a transfer midair round 6-foot-6 ahead Kyla Oldacre to hit what regarded just like the game-winning layup with two seconds remaining.
That was simply lengthy sufficient for Harmon to show minor contact right into a whistle and two free throws.
All these free throws did although was stall the inevitable, with Hannah Hidalgo scoring 5 of Notre Dame’s 12 points in overtime to beat the Longhorns 80-70. Hidalgo led the Irish with 30 factors, eight rebounds and 4 assists, eliminating any doubt in the direction of the ACC aspect who held excellent sophomore Booker to 7-of-21 taking pictures and 6 factors from Harmon.
After a quick ACC stint in opposition to Syracuse, it doesn’t get simpler for the Irish once they welcome the No. 2 UConn Huskies to South Bend on Thursday.
LSU can battle
In Baton Rouge, the No. 5 LSU Tigers hit a 3 to start out the scoring on Thursday. They wouldn’t lead once more till additional time in opposition to the unranked Stanford Cardinal.
Stanford entered the at all times loud PMAC with just one blemish to their file once they misplaced to the Indiana Hoosiers in Meeting Corridor final month. Perhaps its one thing with passionate house environments, however after amassing a 15-point result in begin the second quarter, the Tigers slowly chipped away till the ultimate potential second.
With lower than a minute remaining, the guests had a two possession lead and most of the LSU “trustworthy” took to the exits. Nevertheless, the sport wasn’t over, particularly for guard Mikaylah Williams.
Williams scored 5 of LSU’s closing eight factors, together with the shot that despatched the sport into additional time.
The junior guard acquired a cross on the free throw line, moved like she was going to push in the direction of the basket, stopped and hit a midrange fadeaway jumper with 4 seconds remaining.
It was two of Williams’ game-leading 32 factors, and after Stanford missed a final second heave, all of the momentum laid with the Tigers who powered by way of additional time to a 94-88 victory.
What made the additional interval reassuring for Tiger followers was the absence of Flau’Jae Johnson. With 1:05 remaining, the chief of LSU on the courtroom fouled out of the sport with the Tigers up 4 factors. With their prime scorer out, the Tigers went forward and elevated their result in seal the victory.
Up thus far of the season, LSU had followers their energy of schedule and questioning if this staff was actually definitely worth the top-five rating. After Thursday’s win over Stanford, and wins over the Washington Huskies and NC State Wolfpack previously two weeks, it’s getting tougher to query the energy of head coach Kim Mulkey’s squad.
South Carolina is hungry
For some sports activities followers, watching the mighty fall is typically nearly as good as a favourite staff successful. The South Carolina Gamecocks are probably the most profitable girls’s basketball staff of the last decade, with 4 consecutive journeys to the Ultimate 4, with two ending in Nationwide Championship trophies for head coach Daybreak Staley. To not point out not dropping a single sport throughout final 12 months’s title run and dropping solely 9 video games previously 5 seasons.
So, when the UCLA Bruins got the best of the Gamecocks on Nov. 24, their lone defeat since the 22-23 season, some corners of the basketball world rejoiced on the thought of one other staff taking the helm.
Not so quick.
Since that defeat, the Gamecocks have been on a tear, leaving nothing of their wake. Simply 4 days after dropping to the Bruins, South Carolina defeated the then No. 15 ranked Iowa State Cyclones by 40 factors. That’s not a typo.
Purdue was subsequent, falling 99-51, a scoreline normally reserved for the primary couple video games of the season when prime sides tackle small, regional, in-state faculties. Nope, it was a Massive Ten staff made to seem like a mid-major satellite tv for pc campus.
Thursday, it was the No. 8 Duke Blue Devils touring to Columbia, South Carolina for an opportunity to decelerate the prepare raging full steam down the observe, they usually didn’t.
Duke’s main scorer Reigan Richardson, contemporary off scoring 54 factors within the final two video games main as much as the SEC-ACC Problem, obtained into foul hassle early and performed solely a minute of the primary quarter. Richardson ended the sport with solely her second sport since becoming a member of Duke the place she had no rebounds, no assists and single-digit factors (3).
South Carolina went on the Blue Devils for 3 quarters earlier than Duke went on a run, however by then it was too late. The Gamecocks went into the ultimate 10 minutes with a 20-point lead that Duke made look extra respectable in an 81-70 defeat, however the finish consequence was nonetheless the identical.
Ahead Chloe Kitts had 21 factors and 11 rebounds within the victory, matching her profession scoring excessive and notching her third double-double this season.
Up subsequent for the Gamecocks are the No. 9 TCU Horned Frogs, who’ve already upset two ranked sides this season.
Oklahoma is rising
When the No. 11 Sooners signed Raegan Beers, arguably the highest switch this summer season, the anticipated consequence was that Oklahoma would hit a brand new degree, competing with their new SEC opponents of their first 12 months within the convention.
The Sooners first take a look at, Nov. 27 in opposition to the Duke Blue Devils, led to an additional time defeat the place Oklahoma wanted a final second three to even add one other interval.
Wednesday, they opened up the SEC-ACC Problem in Kentucky, going through off in opposition to freshman star Tajianna Roberts and the No. 22 Louisville Cardinals. Louisville began sturdy, forcing Beers into early foul hassle, taking part in solely eight of the primary 20 minutes and getting into halftime with a 12-point lead.
Within the fourth quarter, Oklahoma confirmed it might probably take soak up the strain and persevere.
Guard Payton Verhulst, who hit that game-tying three in opposition to Duke, stepped as much as the highlight once more with an 11-point quarter the place the guard agitated the house aspect, attending to the road six occasions and hitting all of them. Making it damage just a little extra was the truth that Verhulst was as soon as a Cardinal, transferring in December of 2022, one month into her sophomore season.
The frustration confirmed in Louisville’s offense. The Cardinals shot 25 % within the closing quarter, together with lacking all seven makes an attempt from past the arc.
Verhulst’s play, together with 4 factors and 5 rebounds from Beers, led the Sooners in a closing quarter the place they outscored the Cardinals 29-12, defeating Louisville 78-72.
For Louisville, it’s their second loss to an SEC faculty this season, after falling to the Kentucky Wildcats.
Oklahoma heads again to Norman with their first marquee victory within the Verhulst/Beers period. Ought to they proceed this trajectory, their addition to the SEC may annoy extra followers outdoors of Oklahoma than in it.
Basketball’s enjoyable
Sheila Swish mentioned it greatest “basketball’s enjoyable.” The SEC received the SEC-ACC Problem after the 2 conferences tied in final 12 months’s inaugural competitors, however actually it was basketball followers who received.
Whereas many of the huge video games lived as much as the hype, there are much more classes all through these two days of battles. Like NC State lastly beating a ranked staff once they traveled to Ole Miss to defeat the No. 18 ranked SEC program, or Cal upsetting a ranked Alabama staff, who some noticed as a darkish horse aspect.
The SEC-ACC Problem confirmed that outdoors of March Insanity, basketball video games are greatest served inside staff’s arenas, in entrance of house followers who might help push a staff to new heights.
