Daily Briefing — Nov. 28, 2021

(All times in Eastern)

Watch List, Sunday, Nov. 28

Must-watch

None

Good games

Maine @ Princeton, 1 p.m., ESPN+

Belmont @ RV* Arkansas, 8 p.m., SEC Network+

Also watchable

Troy @ RV Duke, 2 p.m., ACC Network

Sickos game

Richmond @ Virginia, 3:30 p.m., ACC Network

Saturday, Nov. 27 recap

#2 Maryland, #7 Stanford: The Cardinal beat the Terps 86-67. The game was close for eight minutes, and then suddenly wasn’t, with Stanford going on a 19-5 run from the end of the first quarter through the mid-second. The Cardinal shot 51.7% from the field and 40.0% from three — easily their best marks since their opening blowout over Morgan State — while Maryland shot 30.9% and 31.3%, it’s worst and narrowly-second-worst marks this year, respectively; the teams combined for 38 fouls on some very questionable officiating; Stanford committed 16 turnovers, but out-rebounded the Terps by 10; the Cardinal rolled out their fourth different starting lineup in seven games, with center Fran Belibi making her first start this year, and off-ball guard Hannah Jump replacing center Cameron Brink right before tipoff.

The Cardinal were led by Jump’s 21 points on 7-of-14 from three — her highest-scoring output in almost two calendar years — with two steals, while starting ; point wing Haley Jones returned to the starting lineup, and put up 15 points on 5-9 shooting (5-7 FT), 13 rebounds, and four assists against a lone turnover in 31 minutes; Belibi notched 15 points on 5-9 FG (5-6 FT), six rebounds, and three fouls in 21 minutes; wing Lexie Hull scored 15 points on 6-9 from the field and 2-3 from three with eight rebounds against three fouls; Brink played nine minutes off the bench, with eight points on a perfect 3-3 FG and four rebounds; combo guard Jordan Hamilton committed three fouls in eight bench minutes; off-ball guard Anna Wilson played five minutes off the bench after starting the first six games of the season, but only playing four minutes in Friday’s USF loss. Point guard Ashley Owusu had a game-high 29 points on 9-18 shooting (1-2 3pt., 10-10 FT) for Maryland, with five rebounds, four assists, four turnovers, and four fouls; wing Chloe Bibby scored 15 points on 5-of-14 from the field and 2-of-6 from three and four rebounds; big Angel Reese had six points on 2-13 FG (2-6 FT), five rebounds (three offensive), two assists, two steals, and no turnovers in 15 minutes while fouling out, the worst performance of her collegiate career; combo guard Shyanne Sellers shot 1-for-10 (0-3 3pt.) for four points, plus four rebounds, five assists, two steals, and three turnovers; four Terps played at least 35 minutes.

The Daily Briefing Cameron Brink Foul Watch: One foul in 34 minutes today; 4.4 fouls per 40 minutes (27th percentile) and 5.3% foul percentage (26th percentile, per Her Hoop Stats) for the season.

#4 Indiana: 53-51 win over Miami, or less than a seventh of RV Washington State’s margin of victory over the Hurricanes. The Hoosiers led by 12 with less than four minutes to go, and let off the gas while Miami closed on an 11-1 run. The teams combined for 43 fouls; Miami had 15 steals, leading to Indiana committing 24 turnovers and taking only 44 shots, 15 fewer than the Hurricanes; coincidentally, the Hoosiers won on the boards by 15.

Indiana was led by center Mackenzie Holmes’ 14 points on 4-of-8 from the field and 6-of-11 from the line and 11 rebounds (four offensive) for a double-double; combo guard Ali Patberg’s 13 points on 4-9 shooting (1-3 3pt., 4-6 FT), four rebounds, and three turnovers; point guard Grace Berger had 11 points on 5-11 FG, seven rebounds, three assists, and eight turnovers; the Hoosiers’ starters each played at least 34 minutes. Miami combo guard Kelsey Marshall had a game-high 20 points on 8-19 shooting (3-9 3pt.), four rebounds, and four steals.

#5 N.C. State, RV Washington State: The Wolfpack beat the Cougars 62-34. Washington State was held to a combined 11 points across the first and fourth quarters, while N.C. State notched 12 steals to contribute to 16 turnovers and marks of 25.5% from the field and 17.4% from three for the Cougars. The Wolfpack only shot 36.1% overall, which, considering the final result, is pretty scary. Point guard Diamond Johnson had a game-high 24 points on 10-16 shooting (4-5 3pt.), seven rebounds, and four steals off the bench for N.C. State; center Elissa Cunane, wing Jakia Brown-Turner and point guard Raina Perez combined to go 3-of-21 from the field. For Washington State, combo guard Charlisse Leger-Walker and point guard Krystal Leger-Walker combined for five points on 2-for-17 shooting and 11 turnovers.

#6 Baylor: 74-58 win over Houston. The game was tied in the mid-second quarter, and then the Bears pulled away, while holding the Cougars to five third-quarter points. Baylor out-rebounded Houston by 15, assisted on 16 of its 22 buckets, and shot 37.9/40.0/77.4 (FG%/3P%/FT%); Houston shot 43.5% from three, but committed 19 fouls. Big NaLyssa Smith led the Bears with a 21-point, 19-rebound double-double on 6-14 shooting (1-1 3pt., 8-13 FT) with six offensive rebounds, two blocks, and one turnover; center Queen Egbo notched 16 points on 6-12 FG (4-6 FT), eight rebounds, and three blocks, but committed four fouls in 24 minutes. Cougar combo guard Laila Blair scored a game-high 28 points on 10-of-21 from the field and 6-of-10 from three against four turnovers.

The Daily Briefing Baylor 3-Point Shooting Watch: 6-for-15, 40.0% today; 39-for-136, 28.7% for the season (42nd percentile, per Her Hoop Stats).

#9 Arizona: 80-44 win over Rutgers. Led 46-8 at halftime — yes, you read that correctly — in what may be the season’s most futile effort by the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers shot 34.2%, a not-terrible number, but only took 38 shots thanks to 30 turnovers. The Wildcats shot 51.7% from the field and 47.4% from three, with 18 total steals against 18 turnovers. Big Cate Reese scored 16 points on 7-12 shooting (0-2 3pt.) in 12 minutes; big wing Gisela Sanchez had 15 bench points on 6-of-9 from the field (2-3 3pt.) and four rebounds; center Aaronette Vonleh notched 12 points on 6-10 FG (0-3 FT) and four fouls in 12 bench minutes.

#11 Tennessee: 80-55 win over Oklahoma State. Finally, a Vols margin of victory commensurate with its ranking! Although they did still manage to commit 23 turnovers and 18 fouls. Big wing Jordan Horston narrowly missed a triple-double, with 17 points on 7-11 shooting (0-3 3pt.), nine rebounds, nine assists, and five turnovers in 24 minutes; center Tamari Key had a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double on 5-6 FG with four offensive rebounds and two blocks.

#12 Michigan: 64-48 win over Mississippi State. The Bulldogs maintained pace through the late second quarter, and drew close in the late third and early fourth quarters, but the Wolverines closed on a 13-2 run. Michigan wing Leigha Brown came off the bench again as she works back from a month-long injury, but still scored a game-high 23 points on 9-of-18 from the field (2-4 3pt.) with five rebounds, three assists, and four fouls in 25 minutes; big Naz Hillmon had a double-double on 18 points on 6-15 shooting (6-8 FT) and 10 rebounds (four offensive) against three turnovers and three blocks. Off-ball guard JerKaila Jordan led Mississippi State with 18 points on 7-16 FG (2-6 3pt.), eight rebounds, two steals, three blocks, and four fouls; big Rickea Jackson scored 13 points on 5-16 from the field (1-4 3pt.) with seven rebounds and two blocks.

#13 Iowa State: 93-59 win over Penn State. Only committed nine fouls. Off-ball guard Aubrey Joens tied a career-high of 21 points on 7-of-11 from three (0-1 from two) with 11 rebounds for her second career double-double; big wing Ashley Joens had 13 points on 4-11 shooting (3-7 3pt.), eight rebounds, and four assists; point guard Emily Ryan had nine points (3-8 FG, 2-7 3pt.), five rebounds, and 10 assists without a turnover.

#14 Texas: 83-42 win over CSU Northridge, about the same margin that Arizona had against the Matadors, and 14 points better than UCLA. Despite only two starters playing more than 21 minutes, the Longhorns only allowed 15 second-half points, which seems rude. Big DeYona Gaston scored a game-high 19 points on 9-11 shooting in 21 bench minutes; off-ball guard Audrey Warren had 13 points on 4-5 from the field, eight rebounds (four offensive), two steals, and five turnovers.

#16 Oregon State, RV Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish beat the Beavers 64-62. A day after letting a quality win against Georgia slip away, Notre Dame secured this win, leading by as many as 22 points in the late third quarter. The Irish were out-rebounded by 12, but the Beavers committed 21 turnovers. Center Maya Dodson led Notre Dame with 14 points on 6-17 shooting and nine rebounds (four offensive); big wing Maddy Westbeld had 11 points on 5-of-15 from the field with six rebounds; point guard Olivia Miles only played 21 minutes thanks to four fouls. Oregon State point guard Talia von Oelhoffen had a game-high 25 points in 28 minutes on 8-of-21 from the field and 4-of-8 from three (5-6 FT); centers Taylor Jones and Kennedy Brown combined for 25 rebounds (seven offensive) and four blocks, with Jones adding 14 points on 5-9 FG for a double-double.

#17 Florida State: 66-61 loss to Purdue, the Noles’ second loss to an unranked team in as many days. The Boilermakers shot 36.4% from three on 33 attempts, and assisted on 19 of their 25 overall field goals. Off-ball guard Cassidy Hardin had a game-high 18 points on 6-of-12 from three for Purdue. Florida State was led by big wing Morgan Jones’ 14 points on 4-5 shooting (6-6 FT), seven rebounds, and three turnovers; point guard Bianca Jackson missed her third-straight game with an undisclosed injury.

#19 UCLA: 76-66 loss to South Dakota State, a team that lost by 18 points to UMass last night. The Bruins are, frankly, a mess, and desperately need point guard Gina Conti and big Angela Dugalić, both of whom would presumably play starter minutes, to get healthy — their timeline to return was “several weeks” about three weeks ago. Jackrabbit off-ball guard Lindsey Theuninck had 11 points on 3-of-4 from three and four fouls off the bench; big Tori Nelson scored notched 11 points on 3-7 from the field (1-3 3pt., 4-6 FT) with two assists and no turnovers; reigning Summit League Player of the Year big wing Myah Selland made her first start of the year (after playing her first game on Friday), with nine points on 3-6 shooting and three rebounds in 14 minutes — the Jackrabbits already collapsed in their non-conference schedule without her, and will look to winning their conference for an NCAA tournament bid. UCLA big IImar’I Thomas hit the bench after getting defensively abused on Friday, but scored a game-high 18 points on 8-15 FG (1-2 3pt.) with seven rebounds (four offensive); point guard Charisma Osborne had 15 points on 4-13 FG (3-7 3pt.); wing Jaelynn Penn notched 15 points on 5-12 shooting (1-5 3pt.), five rebounds, and five turnovers.

#20 Kentucky: 74-52 win over La Salle. Held the Explorers to five fourth-quarter points. Big Dre’una Edwards notched 22 points on 8-11 shooting (2-3 3pt.) and 11 rebounds (five offensive) for a double-double with four assists and three blocks; off-ball guard Robyn Benton scored 17 points on 6-12 from the field (3-3 3pt.) with seven rebounds (three offensive); wing Rhyne Howard had 16 points on 5-12 FG (2-6 3pt., 4-6 FT), six rebounds, and three assists against four turnovers and three fouls.

#21 Ohio State: 86-50 win over Cincinnati. Scored 33 points in the first quarter. Big Rebeka Mikulášiková tied her career-high of 19 points for the third time in four games, on 7-8 shooting (2-2 3pt.) with three turnovers in 19 minutes; combo guard Jacy Sheldon had 17 points on 5-11 from the field (1-2 3pt., 6-7 FT), five rebounds, and six assists against three fouls; wing Taylor Mikesell notched 15 points on 6-9 from the field (3-5 3pt.) and three assists; point guard Kateri Poole had 12 points on 3-of-5 shooting (1-3 3pt., 5-9 FT), five rebounds, six assists, three steals, and three each of turnovers and foul.

#22 West Virginia: 58-57 loss to BYU, the Cougars’ second upset over a ranked opponent in as many days. Both teams committed 23 turnovers thanks to double-digit steals by each. The Mountaineers shot 40.7% from the field and 28.6% from three, both almost 10% than their prior marks. BYU point guard Shaylee Gonzales had a game-high 20 points on 6-11 shooting (2-4 3pt., 6-6 FT) with six rebounds and four turnovers. Big Esmery Martinez scored 18 points on 8-13 FG for West Virginia with six rebounds (five offensive) and three blocks against five turnovers; point guard Kirsten Deans had 17 points on 6-of-13 from the field and 4-of-8 from three, six rebounds, three assists, and nine turnovers.

#23 Texas A&M: 77-68 win over Northwestern. The game was tied at halftime, and then the Aggies had a +10 third quarter. Texas A&M committed 20 turnovers, thanks to 13 Northwestern steals, but shot 46.2% from the field and 62.5% from three to make up for it. Point guard Jordan Nixon led the Aggies with a game-high 25 points on 7-of-9 from the field and 6-of-6 from three (5-6 FT) with three turnovers; wing Kayla Wells notched 15 points on 4-10 shooting (1-2 3pt., 6-8 FT), four rebounds, three assists, and three turnovers; combo guard Destiny Pitts scored 15 points on 6-12 FG (2-6 3pt.) with nine rebounds, three assists, and three turnovers. Wildcat point guard Veronica Burton had 18 points on 4-14 shooting (1-5 3pt., 9-10 FT), three rebounds, and four steals; point guard Melannie Daley — the No. 150 freshman in the country, per Blue Star — had 15 bench points on 7-13 from the field with four rebounds and three steals in 20 minutes.

The Daily Briefing Texas A&M Wells/Nixon/Pitts Watch: combined share of Aggies’ scoring — 58.6%; assists — 57.7%; turnovers — 45.1%; steals — 28.36%; combined 48.8% FG%, 47.9% 3P%, 1.18 assist-to-turnover ratio.

#24 Virginia Tech: 54-49 win over UT-Martin — a smaller margin than Kansas State or George Washington. The Hokies didn’t lead for good until the early fourth quarter, and the Skyhawks trimmed it to one point towards the end of the quarter despite only scoring seven that period. Virginia Tech only shot 4-of-22 from three. Center Elizabeth Kitley had a 19-point, 14-rebounds double-double on 9-13 shooting with seven offensive rebounds, two assists, and five blocks; combo guards Aisha Sheppard and Kayana Traylor combined to shooting 5-for-23 from the field and 2-for-15 from three; three-point specialist off-ball guard Cayla King was out with an injury. UT-Martin was led by combo guard Paige Pipkin’s game-high 20 points on 7-15 shooting (4-5 3pt.) and nine rebounds.

#25 FGCU: 73-65 win over St. Louis. Big wing Kierstan Bell struggled compared to her usual, with only 14 points on 6-19 shooting (0-7 3pt.), seven rebounds, three assists, and four fouls; combo guard Kerstie Phills had a season-high 16 points on 6-10 from the field (3-5 3pt.), nine rebounds (four offensive) and no turnovers.

RV Georgia: 70-45 win over Marquette. Center Jenna Staiti had 13 points on 4-7 from the field (1-2 3pt.) and five rebounds; combo guard Mikayla Coombs scored 13 points on a perfect 6-6 shooting with five assists; center Malury Bates notched 12 bench points on 5-7 FG, seven rebounds, and three blocks.

RV Arkansas: 92-66 win over Sam Houston. Combo guard Amber Ramirez had 17 points on 5-7 shooting (4-5 3pt.) and two steals; big wing Jersey Wolfenbarger — the consensus No. 13^{^} freshman in the country — notched 16 bench points on 5-8 from the field (3-4 3pt., 3-6 FT) in 17 minutes.

RV DePaul: 91-74 win over Vanderbilt. The Commodores tied the game in the mid-third quarter, but only scored eight in the period as the game slipped away. Off-ball guard Sonya Morris had a career-high 36 points on 14-of-22 from the field and 7-of-9 from three, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and three turnovers; big Aneesah Morrow scored 28 points on 9-13 shooting (9-12 FT) with 15 rebounds (seven offensive), two assists, five steals, and five turnovers.

Penn: 73-68 overtime loss to Memphis. Point guard Kayla Padilla scored a career-high 36 points on 13-26 from the field and 9-17 from three with four rebounds, five assists, and three steals in 45 minutes.

Delaware: 72-63 win over Chicago State. Wing Jasmine Dickey had 23 points on 10-26 FG, breaking her 30-point streak, with 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and three turnovers. But! Introducing:

The Daily Briefing Jasmine Dickey Scoring Watch: 23 points today; 28.6 points per game (100th percentile), 39.0% usage rate (99th percentile, per CBB Analytics).

Blown Leads

SE Louisiana: 71-65 loss to Utah State. The Lions had a 97.6% win expectancy with a four-point lead and 25 seconds to go. Then they missed two free-throws as the Aggies went 3-for-3 to close.

Idaho: 61-60 loss to Nevada. Had a 98.3% win expectancy with a seven-point lead and 2:17 remaining in the game. Then allowed eight Wolf Pack points to end the game, wherein the Vandals missed two shots — one of them blocked — committed a turnover, and fouled twice — including with four seconds left to let Nevada take the lead from the line. Heartbreaking.

*Receiving Votes

^Consensus rankings are drawn from an aggregation of ESPN, Blue Star, Prep Girls, ASGR, and Prospects Nation