Daily Briefing — Jan. 13, 2022: Conference chaos

W Roundup

Chicago: Cored wing Kahleah Copper, per Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times and confirmed by James Kay, our Sky reporter. Copper can now either sign for a one-year supermax or negotiate a long-term extension with the Sky. This isn’t the best sign regarding a prospective return of Vanderquigs, but Kay will have a full rundown here later this morning on what this means for the reigning champs’ offseason plans.

(All times in Eastern)

Watch List, Thursday, Jan. 13

Must-watch

None

Good games

RV* Nebraska @ #6 Indiana, 6 p.m., BTN

RV Virginia Tech @ #16 Duke, 6 p.m., ACC Network

#7 Arizona @ Oregon State, 10 p.m., Pac-12 Oregon

Also watchable

None

Sickos games

Boston College @ Pitt, 6 p.m., ACC Network Extra

Miami @ Clemson, 7 p.m., ACC Network Extra

Game-within-the-game games

Syracuse @ Louisville, 7 p.m., ACC Network Extra

Wednesday, Jan. 12 recap

#10 UConn: 92-47 win over Butler. Won the first quarter 25-9. Notched 19 steals, part of 27 forced turnovers; committed only seven turnovers. Center Olivia Nelson-Ododa had a season-high 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting (1-2 3pt.), seven rebounds (three offensive), five assists, and three steals against three fouls in 25 minutes; combo guard Christyn Williams matched those team-high 19 points on 8-for-18 from the field and 3-for-10 from three, plus seven rebounds (four offensive), four assists, and a career-high seven steals against a lone turnover; off-ball guard Caroline Ducharme scored 18 points on 6-for-13 FG (3-8 3pt.) with a pair of blocks against two turnovers and fouls in 28 minutes.

Big Aubrey Griffin will miss the rest of the season recovering from back surgery. The back issue has been noted as chronic, significantly affecting her future in basketball. The junior had yet to play this season with this and a high ankle sprain.

#13 Texas: 70-66 overtime loss to Kansas, the Jayhawks’ first win over the Longhorns since 2012. Allowed 49.0% shooting despite going 38.1% from three; Kansas notched 14 steals; the teams committed 23 turnovers each, with Texas adding 21 fouls. Wing Joanne Allen-Taylor scored a team-high 18 points on 8-for-18 from the field and 2-for-10 from three with five rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 41 minutes; big DeYona Gaston notched 14 points on 6-for-13 FG, five rebounds, and two steals against three turnovers; point guard Rori Harmon had eight points on 2-for-4 from three (0-2 from two), nine rebounds, seven assists, four turnovers, and four unintentional fouls in 37 minutes. Jayhawk combo guard Holly Kersgieter scored a game-high 19 points on 8-for-14 shooting (1-3 3pt.) with three rebounds and five steals against five turnovers.

#14 Baylor, #23 Oklahoma: The Sooners beat the Bears 83-77. Baylor opened on a 10-0 run through the first five-and-a-half minutes, but Oklahoma closed the game on a 12-2 run. The teams combined to shoot 47.0% from the field, with the Sooners going 51.9% from three; Oklahoma assisted on 22 of its 28 buckets; Baylor was a +11 in rebounding; the Bears committed 18 turnovers, while the Sooners committed 21 fouls.

Oklahoma combo forward/five-out center Skylar Vann had a team-high 22 points on 8-for-13 from the field and 3-for-7 from three, seven rebounds, three assists, four steals, and three blocks against two turnovers and four fouls in 30 minutes; wing Madi Williams notched 18 points on 7-for-21 shooting (1-6 3pt.), three rebounds, and seven assists against five turnovers and three fouls; combo guard Taylor Robertson scored 15 points on 5-for-5 from three with five rebounds and two assists without sitting. Baylor big NaLyssa Smith tallied a game-high 30 points on 12-for-20 FG (0-1 3pt., 6-8 FT), eight rebounds (three offensive), two assists, and three steals against three turnovers; center Queen Egbo notched a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double on 6-for-12 from the field with four offensive boards and two blocks against two turnovers.

#23 South Florida: 75-62 win over Tulane. Trailed by five in the late second quarter, winning the final 23ish minutes 54-36. Held the Green Wave to 28.3% shooting; the teams combined for 45 fouls. Combo forward Bethy Mununga led with a 26-point, 12-rebound double-double on 8-for-12 from the field and 10-for-11 from the line with two turnovers; center Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu had 23 points on 9-for-11 FG, eight rebounds (four offensive), three steals, and three blocks against three each of turnovers and fouls in 26 minutes.

RV DePaul: 88-85 overtime loss to Marquette. Trailed by 11 in the mid-third quarter, then led by seven by the mid-fourth, lost that lead, regained it, lost and regained and lost it again before tying with a second left at the line. Point guard Lexi Held, owner of a career 78.2% ft%, then missed the game-winning second free-throw at the line to head to overtime. Trailed to start overtime, but led midway through the period, and then finally lost the lead for good. Did you follow all of that?

The teams combined for 99 rebounds; the Blue Demons forced 17 turnovers; the teams combined for 35 fouls. Big Aneesah Morrow led DePaul with a 21-point, 17-rebound double-double on 9-for-18 FG (0-1 3pt., 3-6 FT) with eight offensive boards, two assists, and five blocks against two turnovers in 42 minutes; Held had 18 points on 7-for-19 from the field (3-5 3pt.), three rebounds, five assists, and four turnovers in 42 minutes; wing Darrione Rogers notched a double-double with 14 points on 4-for-15 shooting (3-7 3pt.) and 11 rebounds, plus two assists. Golden Eagle combo guard Karissa McLaughlin scored a game-high 24 points on 6-for-13 from the field and 4-for-8 from three (8-8 FT) with four rebounds, three assists, and two blocks against two turnovers.

RV Ohio State: 89-83 win over Michigan State. Shot 57.4% from the field and 63.2% from three; committed 21 turnovers and 18 fouls; drew 19 fouls. Combo guard Jacy Sheldon set a career-high with 33 points on 12-for-15 shooting (2-2 3pt., 7-7 FT) with six rebounds and six assists against three turnovers; wing Taylor Mikesell scored 25 points on 8-for-13 from the field and 5-for-8 from three with five rebounds and two assists against five turnovers without sitting; big Rebeka Mikulášiková notched a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double on 5-for-9 FG (1-2 3pt.) with four turnovers.

Bucknell: 56-45 win over Lehigh, the preseason No. 3 in the Patriot League taking down the conference’s preseason favorite.

UMass: 72-60 win over VCU, the Minutewomen getting a leg up among a few A-10 teams vying for a shot at dethroning conference favorite Dayton or also-really-good Rhode Island — you can read more about the highly competitive and genuinely very exciting conference in our A10 reporter’s, Natalie Heavren, conference preview. (For what it’s worth, UMass is a possible tournament team and easily top-four in a likely-multi-bid A10 right now.)

UMass shot 51.9% from the field and 52.6% from three; allowed 40.0% overall and 41.% from deep. Wing Sydney Talyor scored a career-high 32 points on 12-for-21 from the field and 6-for-12 from three with four rebounds and three assists against three turnovers in the win.

Lafayette, Loyola (MD): The Leopards beat the Greyhounds 48-39. The teams combined to shoot 30.4% from the field and 17.9% from three. Filing this one under the Crimes Against James Naismith category.

Cancellations

• Western Michigan vs. Northern Illinois
• Hartford vs. Binghamton

Our fourth-straight day with a whole bunch of games played and very few cancelled. I’m getting… cautiously optimistic? Probably a bad idea, but the schedules remain quite un-cancelled across the board through next week!

*Receiving Votes