Indiana forward Mackenzie Holmes, left, and Ohio State forward Cotie McMahon vie for a rebound late in the second half of Big Ten tournament semifinal on Saturday in Minneapolis. Bruce Kluckhohn/Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — Rikki Harris made a go-ahead layup with 38 seconds left for 14th-ranked Ohio State in a 79-75 victory over second-ranked Indiana after rallying from a 24-point deficit in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday.
Taylor Thierry had 19 points, 12 rebounds and three steals for the Buckeyes (25-6), who turned up their full-court press in the second half to take down the regular-season conference champion Hoosiers (27-3) and damage their bid for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Cotie McMahon added 12 points, 14 rebounds and three steals. She also played a major role in limiting Indiana star Mackenzie Holmes, of Gorham, who had 12 points – nearly 13 below her average – on 3-for-7 shooting.
Holmes got a hook shot to fall with 45 seconds to go for a 75-74 lead. With the Hoosiers trailing 77-75, Holmes grabbed the rebound of teammate Sydney Parrish’s jumper but was tied up by Jacy Sheldon – who had four of Ohio State’s 14 steals – for a held ball call that went to the Buckeyes for the alternating possession.
Taylor Mikesell scored 13 points and Sheldon had 12 for Ohio State, which finished fourth in the Big Ten standings after ranking as high as second in The Associated Press poll. This performance ought to have solidified at least a No. 3 seed for the Buckeyes, who also beat rival and 17th-ranked Michigan twice in the last three weeks.
Grace Berger led the Hoosiers with 20 points and six assists. Reserve Sara Scalia scored 15 points and Parrish added 10 points. Parrish and Chloe Moore-McNeil each had four of Indiana’s 18 turnovers. Fourteen of them came after halftime once the Buckeyes dialed up their pressure.
Holmes picked up her fourth foul with 8:43 left on McMahon’s and-one underneath that cut the Indiana lead to 63-58.
(1) SOUTH CAROLINA 80, MISSISSIPPI 51: Laeticia Amihere scored 17 points and Aliyah Boston posted her 80th career double-double to lead the Gamecocks (31-0) into the SEC Tournament final for the eighth time in nine seasons with a victory over the Rebels (23-9) in Greenville, South Carolina.
Boston had 10 points and 11 rebounds as the Gamecocks (31-0) won their 37th straight game. They will take on either No. 4 LSU or Tennessee for the conference championship on Sunday.
(7) IOWA 89, (5) MARYLAND 84: Caitlin Clark had 22 points and nine assists, Gabbie Marshall and McKenna Warnock each scored 21 points, and the Hawkeyes (25-6) made a season-high 15 shots from 3-point range to beat the Terrapins (25-6) in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis.
The defending conference tournament champion Hawkeyes will play 14th-ranked Ohio State in the championship game on Sunday afternoon.
(8) VIRGINIA TECH 58, (13) DUKE 37: Georgia Amoore scored 24 points on six 3-pointers, and the Hokies (26-4) advanced to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship game for the first time in program history with a win over the Blue Devils (25-6) in Greensboro, North Carolina.
(9) UCONN 69, GEORGETOWN 39: Aaliyah Edwards had 19 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Huskies (27-5) to a rout of the Hoyas (14-17) in the Big East quarterfinals in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Dorka Juhasz also put up a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Lou Lopez Senechal added 14 points for the top-seeded Huskies (27-5), who have won six of their last seven games.
LOUISVILLE 64, (10) NOTRE DAME 38: Hailey Van Lith had 15 points, and the unranked Cardinals (23-10) used a stifling defensive performance to knock off the Fighting Irish (25-5) in Greensboro, North Carolina to advance to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship game.
Louisville limited the Fighting Irish to 31.4% shooting and forced 22 turnovers, using a full court press to create chaos while closing off entry passes in half court sets.
(12) TEXAS 80, KANSAS STATE 52: Shaylee Gonzales scored 21 points and the Longhorns (23-8, 14-4 Big 12) smothered the Wildcats (16-15, 5-13) to win a share of the Big 12 Conference championship for the first time since 2004 as the regular season came to an end in Manhattan, Kansas.
(16) OKLAHOMA 80, OKLAHOMA STATE 71: Taylor Robertson had 15 points and six assists, Skylar Vann had a double-double off the bench, and the Sooners (24-5, 14-4 Big 12) defeated the Cowboys (20-10, 10-8) to wrap up a share of their first Big 12 championship since 2009 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
(23) IOWA STATE 72, TEXAS TECH 56: Ashley Joens scored 22 points and became the Big 12 Conference all-time leader in games played, Emily Ryan had a double-double and the Cyclones (19-8, 11-7) rolled past the Aggies (18-13, 6-12) in Ames, Iowa to close the regular season.
(24) MIDDLE TENNESSEE 72, UTEP 68: Jaylynn Gregory and reserve Kseniya Malashka scored 17 points apiece and the Lady Raiders (25-4, 18-2 C-USA) withstood the Miners (19-10, 12-8) in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
MEN’S
(24) TEXAS A&M 67, (2) ALABAMA 61: Wade Taylor scored 28 points and the Aggies (23-8, 15-3 SEC) beat the Crimson Tide (26-5, 16-2) in College Station, Texas, making their late free throws after Crimson Tide star Brandon Miller fouled out.
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Crimson Tide. Alabama played the last two minutes minus Miller, who fouled out after scoring a team-leading 19 points.
(9) TEXAS 75, (3) KANSAS 59: Sir’Jabari Rice scored 23 points and a smothering defensive effort carried the Longhorns (23-8, 12-6) to a win over Jayhawks (25-6, 13-5) in Austin, Texas, that earned Texas a second-place finish in the Big 12.
Kansas, which had already secured the league championship earlier in the week, had its seven-game winning streak snapped.
(6) MARQUETTE 96, ST. JOHN’S 94: Kam Jones scored 23 points and the Golden Eagles (25-6, 17-3 Big East) barely avoided a last-minute collapse, topping the Red Storm (17-14, 7-13) in Milwaukee for their sixth consecutive victory.
IOWA STATE 73, (7) BAYLOR 58: Jaren Holmes had 16 points and the Cyclones (18-12, 9-9 Big 12) ended a four-game losing streak with a win over seventh-ranked Baylor (22-9, 11-7) in what likely was the Bears’ final Big 12 home game in the 35-year-old Ferrell Center.
WEST VIRGINIA 89, (11) KANSAS STATE 81: Erik Stevenson scored 27 points, Kedrian Johnson added 23 and the Mountaineers (18-13, 7-11 Big 12) gave their NCAA Tournament hopes a big boost with a victory over the Wildcats (23-8, 11-7) in Morgantown, West Virginia.
AUBURN 79, (12) TENNESSEE 70: Wendell Green Jr. scored 24 points to help the Tigers (20-11, 10-8 SEC) boost their NCAA Tournament prospects with a win over the Volunteers (23-8, 12-6) in Auburn, Alabama in the regular-season finale.
(13) VIRGINIA 75, LOUISVILLE 60: Jayden Gardner and Armaan Franklin scored 16 points each and the Cavaliers (23-6, 15-5 ACC) a clinched a share of the regular season title in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a victory against the Cardinals (4-27, 2-18) in Charlottsville, Virginia.
SETON HALL 82, (20) PROVIDENCE 58: Dre Davis scored 24 points to help the Pirates (17-14, 10-10 Big East) beat the Friars (21-10, 13-7) in Providence, Rhode Island.
OKLAHOMA 74, (22) TCU 60: Tanner Groves scored a season-high 23 points to go with 10 rebounds and the Sooners (15-16, 5-13 Big 12) rode a hot start all the way, beating the Horned Frogs (20-11, 9-9) in Norman, Oklahoma in the regular-season finale for both teams.
(23) KENTUCKY 88, ARKANSAS 79: Antonio Reeves scored a career-high 37 points, and the Wildcats (21-10, 12-6 SEC) handed the Razorbacks (19-12, 8-10) their third straight loss with a victory in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
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