The NCAA women’s basketball tournament is expanding to 68 teams beginning with the current season, giving it an equal number of participants as the men’s tournament as part of a concerted effort at gender parity.
The men’s tournament expanded to 68 teams in 2011 with four first-round games traditionally played in Dayton, Ohio. The first four for the women’s tournament will take place on the campuses of teams seeded in the top 16 this season, but they will move to a to-be-determined neutral site beginning with the 2023 tournament.
The expansion of the women’s tournament was among the recommendations put forth in August after a comprehensive external gender equity review conducted by the law firm Kaplan Hecker & Fink. It was commissioned after backlash driven by social media of disparities in the men’s and women’s tournaments, including weight rooms and other facilities.
ESPN will broadcast the first four games along with the rest of the women’s tournament.
Other recommendations include exploring a joint Final Four with the semifinals and title games held in the same city on the same weekend, though that would not happen until at least 2027 with sites already locked in until that point.
(1) SOUTH CAROLINA 76, CLEMSON 45: Destanni Henderson had 16 points off three 3-pointers and Zia Cooke scored 13 points as host South Carolina (3-0) pulled away in the second half for its 11th straight win over Clemson (1-2).
(8) IOWA 87, SOUTHERN 67: Caitlin Clark had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for her second career triple-double, McKenna Warnock had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and host Iowa (4-0) beat Southern (0-3).
(10) LOUISVILLE 62, UT MARTIN 30: Emily Engstler scored 18 of her 20 points in the first half, Kianna Smith added 10 and host Louisville (2-1) cruised past UT Martin (2-2).
Engstler began 7 of 8 from the field, including 4 of 4 from behind the arc, to jumpstart the Cardinals toward a 32-11 halftime lead despite 36% shooting in the second quarter.
(12) TEXAS 88, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE 47: Joanne Allen-Taylor scored 13 points, Lauren Ebo had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and host Texas (3-0) beat Southeast Missouri State (1-2).
Ebo started a 14-0 run in the first quarter and Allen-Taylor scored the final four points as Texas led 18-4.
(18) GEORGIA TECH 65, EAST TENNESSEE STATE 42: Nerea Hermosa scored 10 of her 17 points in the first quarter to spark visiting Georgia Tech (4-0) over East Tennessee State (1-3).
(21) OHIO STATE 94, BOWLING GREEN 63: Taylor Mikesell and Rebeka Mikulasikova each scored 19 points as host Ohio State (3-0) topped Bowling Green (1-2).
(25) VIRGINIA TECH 85, COPPIN STATE 32: Aisha Sheppard scored 17 points and Elizabeth Kitley scored 13 with 13 rebounds and host Virginia Tech (4-0) overwhelmed Coppin State (2-2).
MEN’S BASKETBALL
UM-FARMINGTON 99, SOUTHERN MAINE CC 91: Cameron Cousins had 22 points and Ian Regan added 20 for the Seawolves, who took the Beavers to overtime before losing in Farmington.
Zachary Mickle made 1 of 2 free throws for the Seawolves (4-1) to tie it at 85 with 5 seconds remaining in regulation. Terion Moss missed a last-second 3-pointer on UMF’s last possession of regulation, but had five of UMF’s 12 overtime points.
SMCC’s three other starters reached double digits, including DeSean Cromwell with 11 and Mickle and Jack Pyzynski with 10 apiece.
Jack Kane led the Beavers (2-1) with 32 points, followed by Moss with 25 and Kyle Donlin with 10.
(8) TEXAS 62, NORTHERN COLORADO 49: Newcomer Tre Mitchell had 16 points and seven rebounds as host Texas (2-1) defeated Northern Colorado (3-2).
Mitchell made 7 of 11 shots in 21 minutes.
Mitchell averaged 18.8 points and 7.2 rebounds last season as a sophomore at Massachusetts and was on the all-Atlantic 10 Conference first team. He was one of seven players who joined new Texas coach Chris Beard through the NCAA transfer portal.
(9) BAYLOR 92, CENTRAL ARKANSAS 47: LJ Cryer scored 20 points for the second game in a row, freshman Kendall Brown had 19 and host Baylor (3-0) tied a school record with 21 steals in beating Central Arkansas (0-3).
(16) ARKANSAS 93, NORTHERN IOWA 80: Chris Lykes scored 26 points and host Arkansas (3-0) reeled off 13 straight points in the final minutes to beat Northern Iowa (1-3).
GEORGE MASON 81, (20) MARYLAND 66: D’Shawn Schwartz scored a career-high 24 points, DeVon Cooper added 16 and visiting George Mason (4-0) withstood a frantic comeback bid to beat Maryland (3-1).
The Patriots let a 10-point lead dwindle to 59-56 before Cooper made a layup and Schwartz made a 3-pointer for an eight-point cushion with 3:06 to go. That was just enough to provide George Mason with its first win over a ranked foe since 2007 and its first victory over Maryland, which won the previous nine games against its Virginia-based opponent.
(23) UCONN 93, LIU 40: Tyler Polley scored 17 points and host UConn (3-0) used stifling defense to rout overmatched Long Island University (0-3).
Andre Jackson scored 14 points, Jalen Gaffney and Adama Sanogo each had 11 and Tyrese Martin added 10. The Huskies held LIU to 27% shooting and 14 field goals.
TEXAS TECH: Texas Tech has cleared junior Terrence Shannon Jr. to return to play after the standout forward was held out of their first three games during a review of eligibility rules.
The school said all questions related to Shannon going through the NBA draft process last summer had been resolved. No specifics were disclosed.
Shannon, a preseason All-Big 12 pick by the league coaches, will be available to play when the Red Raiders (3-0) have their next game Saturday against Incarnate Word at South Padre Island, Texas.
FOOTBALL
CLEMSON: Coach Dabo Swinney said leading receiver Justyn Ross will have surgery to fix the stress fracture in his foot then get ready for the NFL draft.
Ross will miss Saturday’s game against Wake Forest and the season-ending rivalry contest at South Carolina on Nov. 27.
Swinney said he wasn’t sure if Ross would be ready to play in a bowl game, “but he’ll be ready to train and do what he needs to do for the (NFL) combine.”
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