Daily Briefing — Dec. 13, 2021: Have you Heard?

(All times in Eastern)

Watch List, Monday, Dec. 13

Must-watch

None

Good games

None

Also watchable

None

Sickos games

None

Pac-12 or Big Ten on national television (or national streaming)

None

Sunday, Dec. 12 recap

#1 South Carolina, #8 Maryland: The Gamecocks beat the Terps 66-59. Each team was missing one of its top three players: South Carolina without point guard Destanni Henderson, and Maryland without wing Diamond Miller. This was the Gamecocks’ fourth top-10 win of the season, and it’s closest margin in any of those — folks, South Carolina is ridiculous. The teams combined to shoot 33.8% from the field, 26.7% from three, and 60.4% from the line. The Gamecocks out-rebounded the Terps by 27, including 24 offensive rebounds, and recorded 15 blocks; committed 16 turnovers. 

Wing Zia Cooke led South Carolina with a game-high-tying 20 points on 5-for-13 from the field, 2-for-7 from three, and 8-for-10 from the line, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals against four turnovers without a foul; center Aliyah Boston had a 16-point, 16-rebound double-double on 7-for-15 shooting (0-1 3pt.) with six offensive rebounds and seven blocks; big Laeticia Amihere continued to initiate the offense without Henderson, finishing with four points on 1-for-7 FG (0-1 3pt.), eight rebounds, one assist, and two blocks against five turnovers. Maryland big Angel Reese matched Cooke’s game-high 20 points on 7-for-19 from the field (6-9 FT), plus 10 rebounds for a double-double and two assists and three blocks; point guard Ashley Owusu had 11 points on 3-for-17 shooting (5-8 FT), six rebounds, and three assists in the worst shooting performance of her collegiate career.

The Daily Briefing Angel Reese Foul Watch: Three fouls in 31 minutes today; 5.4 fouls per 40 minutes (12th percentile), 6.4% foul percentage (12th percentile, per Her Hoop Stats) for the season.

#2 N.C. State: 101-73 win over Saint Mary’s. Outscored the Gaels 25-7 in the first quarter before allowing 48 of their 73 points in the second half and a 44.6% FG%/40.0% 3P% to Saint Mary’s — with every Wolfpack starter playing between 17 and 21 minutes, the defensive result isn’t indicative of much. N.C. State shot 52.7% from the field, 10-for-20 from three, and made all 13 of its free-throws; committed only seven turnovers. Center Elissa Cunane scored 15 points on 5-for-10 form the field with nine rebounds (four offensive) without a turnover; combo forward Kayla Jones notched 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting (2-2 3pt.), three assists, and no turnovers; win Jakia Brown-Turner had 11 points on 4-for-9 from the field and 3-for-6 from three and six rebounds without a turnover; combo guard Aziaha James tallied 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting (1-2 3pt.), five rebounds, and two steals without a turnover off the bench.

#4 Stanford: 91-62 win over Pacific in the Cardinal’s first game in over two weeks. Shot just 26.9% from three on 26 attempts; had a 59.0% offensive rebounding rate; forced 19 turnovers and 18 fouls. Center Cameron Brink led with a 25-point, 11-rebound double-double on 12-for-16 from the field with five offensive rebounds, three assists, and four blocks against one turnover and foul in just 23 minutes; wing Lexie Hull had 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting (2-4 3pt.), four offensive rebounds, two assists, two steals, and three blocks against a lone turnover; off-ball guard Hannah Jump was reinserted to the starting lineup, finishing with 12 points on 3-for-10 form three (1-2 from two); point wing Haley Jones went 1-for-2 from three!

The Daily Briefing Cameron Brink Foul Watch: One foul in 23 minutes today; 4.1 fouls per 40 minutes (30th percentile), 4.9% foul percentage (31st percentile, per Her Hoop Stats) for the season.

#6 Arizona: 77-60 win over New Mexico. Shot 36.1% on 36 three-point attempts on its sixth-highest single-game three-point rate in the Her Hoop Stats era (since 2009). Center Lauren Ware, who suffered a dislocated kneecap on Thursday, will be available in about 10 days, in line with the initial two-week diagnosis; big Cate Reese led with 14 points on 5-for-12 shooting (4-8 FT) and 12 rebounds (four offensive) for a double-double, three assists, and two turnovers; wing Sam Thomas notched 13 points on 4-for-12 from the field and 3-for-8 from three, four assists, two steals, and two blocks against three turnovers; combo guard Madison Conner scored 15 points on 5-for-10 from three (0-1 from two) — both career-highs off the bench.

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#7 Louisville, #14 Kentucky: The Cardinals beat the Wildcats 64-58. After Kentucky flipped a seven-point early-fourth-quarter deficit to a one-point late with less than three minutes left, Louisville scored six-straight points to seal the win. The teams combined to shoot 39.5% from the field, 26.9% from three, and 65.6% from the line. The Cardinals forced 21 turnovers, but committed 18 fouls.

Point guard Chelsie Hall led Louisville with a game-high 15 points on 5-for-10 shooting (1-2 3pt., 4-6 FT) against three turnovers and three fouls; combo guard Hailey Van Lith had 13 points on 5-for-11 from the field (1-2 3pt.), four rebounds, and two steals against a career-high six turnovers; bench off-ball guard Ahlana Smith notched a career-high-tying 13 points on 6-for-11 FG (1-3 3pt.) and two steals. The Wildcats were led by their bigs, with Dre’una Edwards and Treasure Hunt combining for 28 points on 9-for-22 shooting (Edwards 0-2 3pt., Hunt 1-1 3pt.), 21 rebounds, and 12 turnovers, with Edwards adding five offensive rebounds and four assists; off-ball guard Robyn Benton tallied 13 points on 5-for-12 from the field (1-3 3pt.).

#9 Tennessee: 84-60 win over Georgia State. Shot just 39.2% from the field and 5-for-20 from three; grabbed 62 rebounds; committed 19 turnovers and 15 fouls, but forced 18 turnovers and 26 fouls. Center Tamari Key had a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double on 6-for-10 shooting (4-6 FT) with eight offensive rebounds, two assists, three blocks, and two turnovers in 19 minutes; point wing Jordan Horston scored 10 points on 4-for-15 shooting with 10 rebounds for a double-double, plus three assists, three steals, and four turnovers; big Keyen Green scored a Vols-career-high 14 points on 4-for-7 FG (6-8 FT) off the bench with seven rebounds; combo forward Sara Puckett had 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting (1-1 3pt.), eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals off the bench.

#10 Indiana, #20 Ohio State: The Hoosiers beat the Buckeyes 86-66. Indiana shot 58.1% form the field and 4-for-9 from three, while Ohio State shot just 36.4% overall despite 52.6% from deep. Hoosier center Mackenzie Holmes set a career-high with 30 points on 13-for-19 shooting (1-2 3pt.), adding seven rebounds and five blocks against three turnovers; point guard Grace Berger had 32 points on 9-for-13 shooting, seven rebounds, and five assists without a turnover; combo guard Nicole Cardaño-Hillary notched 17 points on 6-for-11 FG (2-5 3pt.), seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals against four turnovers. Combo guard Jacy Sheldon led the Buckeyes with 23 points on 9-for-24 form the field and 4-for-7 from three, three offensive rebounds, two assists, and two steals against four turnovers and fouls each; wing Taylor Mikesell had 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting (3-5 3pt.), three rebounds, and two assists against three turnovers.

The Daily Briefing Indiana Bench Scoring Watch: 2 points (2.3% of team total), 3 attempts (4.8%) today; 66 points (9.0%), 59 attempts (10.1%) for the season.

#13 Michigan: 73-61 win over Minnesota. Trailed by as many as seven in the mid-third quarter, which you don’t want to do against a team that lost to RV* Oklahoma by 19. Shot 53.8% from the field but just 2-for-11 from three; forced 21 turnovers. Big Naz Hillmon had a game-high 25 points on 11-for-18 from the field (0-1 3pt.), eight rebounds (five offensive), and three assists against three turnovers; wing Leigha Brown scored 19 points on 8-for-14 shooting (0-3 3pt.) with five assists.

#15 Iowa State: 70-69 win over Northern Iowa. With Iowa having beaten the Panthers by 21, I believe the Cyclones have now transitively lost the Cy-Hawk Series. Iowa State led by 11 at the half, then got outscored in the second, including a -6 fourth quarter; played only seven players, with three starters registering at least 39 minutes. Shot 41.7% from three; forced only eight turnovers. Combo guard Lexi Donarski led with 19 points on 6-for-13 shooting (4-5 3pt.), eight rebounds, and four turnovers; center Morgan Kane had a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double on 6-for-7 FG with three turnovers; wing Ashley Joens notched 12 points on 4-for-16 from the field and 2-for-6 from three, eight rebounds (four offensive), three assists, and two blocks without a turnover.

#17 South Florida: 64-57 win over VCU. The Rams had a 98.2% win expectancy with a 49-34 lead in the waning seconds of the third quarter, but the Bulls notched a 28-8 fourth en route to the comeback. South Florida shot 44.0% form the field, 38.9% from three, and 86.7% from the line; had a 53.6% offensive rebounding rate; had a +22 rebounding margin but finished with the same number of shot attempts thanks to 19 turnovers committed and only seven forced. Point guard Elisa Pinzan scored a game-high 24 points on 6-for-8 from the field and 9-for-10 form the line (3-4 3pt.) with four rebounds and no fouls against five turnovers; center Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu made her first start of the year, finishing with 22 points on 10-for-11 FG and nine rebounds (four offensive) against three turnovers and four fouls in 29 minutes.

#18 Texas A&M: 87-75 loss to TCU, a team that has lost to Tulane by 10, RV North Carolina by 33, and Florida by nine. Shot just 3-for-13 from three and missed nine free-throws; were out-rebounded by 19. The teams combined for 44 turnovers and 53 fouls. Wing Kayla Wells scored 20 points on 5-for-18 from the field and 10-for-11 from the line (0-3 3pt.) with four turnovers; point guard Jordan Nixon had 13 points on 5-for-13 shooting (2-4 3pt.), four rebounds, seven assists, and two steals against four turnovers; off-ball guard Qadashah Hoppie scored 17 bench points on 6-for-11 FG (1-2 3pt.) with three assists. Horned Frog point guard Lauren Heard scored 33 points on 7-for-12 from the field and 18-for-21 from the line (1-2 3pt.) with five rebounds, four assists, three steals, and six turnovers.

TCU’s 3-2 conference record now slots them first in the Big 12.

#22 Notre Dame: 78-41 win over Purdue Fort Wayne. Point guard Olivia Miles scored 12 points on 4-for-9 from the field (1-3 3pt.) with eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals; center Maya Dodson matched those 12 points on 5-for-9 FG with five rebounds and five blocks; wing Sonia Citron joined the 12-point party on 5-for-10 shooting (0-2 3pt.) off the bench with three assists and three blocks; off-ball guard Anaya Peoples had 10 points on 5-for-6 FG and nine rebounds (five offensive).

#23 Oregon State: 56-52 loss to Villanova. Entered halftime tied, but were a -7 in the third quarter. Out-rebounded the Wildcats by 18, but took two fewer attempts thanks to forcing only three turnovers and eight fouls. The teams combined to shoot 31.1% from the field and 25.0% from three. Beaver point guard Talia von Oelhoffen had the worst game of her career, going scoreless on 0-for-8 from the field (0-3 3pt.); center Jelena Mitrovic had a double-double off the bench with 14 points on 7-for-12 from the field and 13 rebounds (seven offensive), plus three blocks; off-ball guard Greta Kampschroeder had five points on 2-for-9 shooting )1-4 3pt.), four rebounds, and four turnovers. Wing Maddy Siegrist led Villanova with 28 points — that’s half the team’s total — on 9-for-22 from the field, 3-for-7 from three, and 7-for-8 from the line, plus nine rebounds and two assists without a turnover.

#24 LSU: 96-55 win over Texas Southern. Shot 62.1% from the field and 6-for-9 from three; had a 59.1% offensive rebounding rate; committed 18 turnovers. Ten Tigers finished with at least five points. Center Faustine Aifuwa led with 14 points on 7-for-9 shooting and five rebounds; point guard Khayla Pointer had 13 points on 4-for-6 from the field (4-6 FT), six rebounds, four assists, and five steals against three turnovers.

RV Florida State: 69-55 loss to Florida, a team that lost to Towson by 17 and George Mason by four. Shot 40.0% from the field, 21.4% from three, and 47.1% from the line and committed 23 turnovers and 20 fouls. Center River Baldwin finished three turnovers shy of a triple-double, with 15 points (7-8 FG), 10 rebounds (three offensive), and seven turnovers; wing Morgan Jones had 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting, seven rebounds, and three assists against three turnovers.

RV North Carolina: 107-46 win over UNC Asheville. Shot 58.9% from the field and 55.0% from three and still rebounded over half its own misses; committed only eight turnovers. Big wing Alyssa Ustby notched a 19-point, 14-rebound double-double on 9-for-11 shooting (0-1 3pt.) with six offensive rebounds, four assists, four steals, three blocks, and two turnovers; combo guard Deja Kelly scored 19 points on 7-for-14 from the field (2-4 3pt.) with three assists and steals each without a turnover; combo guard Carlie Littlefield had 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting (4-5 3pt.), six rebounds, and four assists; big Anya Poole tallied 16 points on 6-for-9 FG, nine rebounds (three offensive), and three assists without a turnover.

RV Georgia Tech: 63-36 win over Furman. Shot just 36.1/33.3/44.4 (FG%/3P%/FT%), but allowed only a 24.5/27.3/57.1 line; assisted on 18 of its 22 buckets. Combo forward Digna Strautmane had a game-high 20 points on 6-for-12 from three (1-3 from two), six rebounds, two steals, and two blocks without a foul; big Lorela Cubaj had only five points (2-5 FG, 0-1 3pt.), but notched 14 rebounds (five offensive), six assist, two steals, and three blocks; off-ball guard Sarah Bates tallied 12 points on 4-for-8 from three (0-1 from two), five rebounds, and three assists without a turnover off the bench.

RV Gonzaga: 64-54 win over Stephen F. Austin. Very much a quality win, with the Lumberjacks ranking 26th in Her Hoop Stats rating. The teams combined to shoot 36.4% from the field and 25.6% from three; they scored only 16 combined first-quarter points. The Bulldogs won the rebounding battle by 18, including a 55.9% offensive rebounding rate. Gonzaga point guard Kaylynne Truong and off-ball guard Cierra Walker each scored a game-high 18 points — Troung on 5-for-10 from the field, 1-for-5 from three and 7-for-8 form the line with four turnovers; Walker on 4-for-10 from three and 2-for-3 from two with four rebounds (two offensive). SFA point guard Stephanie Visscher played the entire game and matched those 18 points, on 7-for-15 FG (2-5 3pt.) with seven rebounds (three offensive), three steals, and two turnovers. 

RV Virginia Tech: 89-40 win over Radford. Shot 52.9% from the field but 28.6% from three and 9-for-14 from the line; committed only six turnovers. Center Elizabeth Kitley had a double-double on a game-high 22 points on 10-for-16 FG and 10 rebounds (three offensive) with three blocks and no turnovers; combo forward Azana Baines had a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double on 7-for-8 shooting without a turnover.

*Receiving Votes