Latest news with #MikaylaBlakes
USA Today
21-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
These 7 Women's March Madness games are can't-miss in NCAA Tournament first round
These 7 Women's March Madness games are can't-miss in NCAA Tournament first round Show Caption Hide Caption Players in March Madness to watch before the WNBA draft Mackenzie Salmon and Meghan Hall give a guide on what players to look out for in the March Madness tournament before the WNBA draft. Sports Seriously Women's March Madness tips off first-round action on Friday, with 32 games over the next two days deciding who moves on in the NCAA Tournament bracket. But which of those contests are poised to produce the most exciting on-court action? Which are absolutely must-watch games for any hoops fans? Harmoni Turner and No. 10 Harvard against No. 7 Michigan State is up there. As is No. 6 Iowa vs. No. 11 Murray State. Also watch out for Mikayla Blakes and No. 7 Vanderbilt against No. 10 Oregon. We asked our USA TODAY Sports Network experts which first-round games are the best on the schedule. Here's what they said. No. 8 Utah vs. No. 9 Indiana Time, TV: Friday, 1:30 p.m. | ESPN2 (Fubo) Both teams are fresh from a long break and have veteran talent in Utah's Gianna Kneepkens and IU's Yarden Garzon. Both consistently score in double figures, so it's a matter of which team can contain the other. — Jenna Ortiz, Arizona Republic No. 7. Vanderbilt vs. No. 10 Oregon Time, TV: Friday, 5:30 p.m. | ESPNews (Fubo) Mikayla Blakes is already one of the best scorers in the country as a freshman. Oregon is going to have a tough time keeping her in check. The Ducks have bodies to throw at her — we'll see if there are enough. — Mike Sykes, For The Win Stream women's NCAA Tournament games on Fubo No. 7 Louisville vs. No. 10 Nebraska Time, TV: Friday, 6 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo) If Britt Prince, Nebraska's otherworldly freshman, gets hot, it's going to be a long day for Louisville. — Nancy Armour, USA TODAY No. 6 Iowa vs. No. 11 Murray State Time, TV: Saturday, 12 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo) Murray State has the leading scoring offense in the nation (87.8 ppg) and averages 10.2 3-pointers per game. Speaking of threes, Iowa's Lucy Olsen is averaging a career-high 36% from beyond the arc. Look forward to a high-scoring game. Look forward to a high-scoring game. — Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY If you like points, be sure to tune into this one. Murray State, led by Katelyn Young, averages almost 90 points per game. Iowa will have to score a lot to fend off the Racers. — Cory Diaz, The Daily Advertiser No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 South Dakota State Time, TV: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2 Oklahoma State had a great season but it faces a Jackrabbit team that knows how to win in March. South Dakota State has shown it is capable of playing against top teams, and the Cowgirls have a tough test awaiting them. — Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY These two teams have done a lot of winning this season and the Jackrabbits have hung around with top competition this season and could pull the upset on Saturday. — Maxwell Donaldson, Gadsden Times Women's NCAA March Madness: Keys to a deep run Local reporters break down some of the top teams, and their keys to victory in the 2025 March Madness tournament. No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Harvard Time, TV: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. | ESPNews (Fubo) Harmoni Turner is a three-level scorer with a signature three-point shot that's hard to defend. Teams have struggled to contain her, making Michigan State a prime candidate for the upset list. — Meghan Hall, For The Win Harmoni Turner is one of the best guards in the nation, and she just might lead Harvard to an upset on Saturday. — Cora Hall, Knoxville News Sentinel No. 8 Cal vs No. 9 Mississippi State Time, TV: Saturday, 5:30 p.m. | ESPN2 (Fubo) Both teams hung with top talent late in the regular season (MSU almost beat Texas, Cal lost by 9 to Notre Dame) but both also have some interesting losses. Sam Purcell and his Bulldogs have a lot of heart, but can they stop five scorers from Cal who are averaging 11 or more points per game? — Lulu Kesin, Greenville News First Four: March 19-20 March 19-20 First round: March 21-22 March 21-22 Second round: March 23-24 March 23-24 Sweet 16: March 28-29 March 28-29 Elite Eight : March 30-31 : March 30-31 Final Four: Friday, April 4 (both semifinals; first game begins at 7 p.m. ET) Friday, April 4 (both semifinals; first game begins at 7 p.m. ET) NCAA championship: Sunday, April 6 (Game scheduled for 3 p.m. ET) Where to watch Women's March Madness All games will be televised on the ESPN family of networks, which includes ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPNews.
Associated Press
21-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Vanderbilt and Oregon meet in opening round of NCAA Tournament
Oregon Ducks (19-11, 10-9 Big Ten) vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (22-10, 9-9 SEC) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Commodores -5.5; over/under is 144.5 BOTTOM LINE: Vanderbilt and Oregon play in the NCAA Tournament first round. The Commodores are 9-9 against SEC opponents and 13-1 in non-conference play. Vanderbilt is 2-0 in one-possession games. The Ducks are 10-9 in Big Ten play. Oregon averages 68.2 points and has outscored opponents by 5.3 points per game. Vanderbilt's average of 7.1 made 3-pointers per game this season is just 0.9 more made shots on average than the 6.2 per game Oregon allows. Oregon has shot at a 42.7% clip from the field this season, 1.0 percentage point fewer than the 43.7% shooting opponents of Vanderbilt have averaged. TOP PERFORMERS: Mikayla Blakes is scoring 23.2 points per game with 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Commodores. Khamil Pierre is averaging 19.8 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 44.4% over the last 10 games. Deja Kelly is averaging 11.6 points and 3.4 assists for the Ducks. Phillipina Kyei is averaging 8.7 points over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Commodores: 4-6, averaging 77.5 points, 28.4 rebounds, 14.8 assists, 11.8 steals and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 42.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 79.6 points per game. Ducks: 4-6, averaging 65.3 points, 30.2 rebounds, 12.6 assists, 7.1 steals and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 39.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 71.1 points. ___
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vanderbilt and Oregon meet in opening round of NCAA Tournament
Oregon Ducks (19-11, 10-9 Big Ten) vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (22-10, 9-9 SEC) Durham, North Carolina; Friday, 5:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Commodores -5.5; over/under is 144.5 BOTTOM LINE: Vanderbilt plays Oregon in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Commodores are 9-9 against SEC opponents and 13-1 in non-conference play. Vanderbilt averages 83.6 points while outscoring opponents by 14.8 points per game. The Ducks are 10-9 in Big Ten play. Oregon has a 5-0 record in one-possession games. Vanderbilt makes 45.1% of its shots from the field this season, which is 4.3 percentage points higher than Oregon has allowed to its opponents (40.8%). Oregon has shot at a 42.7% clip from the field this season, 1.0 percentage point fewer than the 43.7% shooting opponents of Vanderbilt have averaged. TOP PERFORMERS: Mikayla Blakes is shooting 45.8% and averaging 23.2 points for the Commodores. Iyana Moore is averaging 1.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games. Phillipina Kyei is averaging 7.5 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Ducks. Deja Kelly is averaging 13.9 points over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Commodores: 4-6, averaging 77.5 points, 28.4 rebounds, 14.8 assists, 11.8 steals and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 42.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 79.6 points per game. Ducks: 4-6, averaging 65.3 points, 30.2 rebounds, 12.6 assists, 7.1 steals and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 39.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 71.1 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vanderbilt vs. Oregon game time set for 2025 NCAA Tournament opener
Vanderbilt women's basketball will be playing in March Madness for the second straight year. The Commodores (22-10) will face Oregon in their opening game in Durham, N.C. on Friday. That game will be held at 4:30 p.m. CT on ESPNews, it was announced Sunday. Vanderbilt made the NCAA tournament in 2024 and defeated Columbia in the First Four before falling to Baylor in the Round of 64. The Commodores last made the Sweet 16 in 2009, the Elite Eight in 2002 and the Final Four in 1993. Buy Vanderbilt NCAA tournament tickets vs. Oregon Vanderbilt is led by SEC Freshman of the Year and NCAA single-game freshman scoring record holder Mikayla Blakes, who scored 55 points in a game against Auburn in February. Teammate Khamil Pierre is also fourth in the SEC in scoring and second in rebounding. The highlight of the Commodores' resume in Shea Ralph's fourth season is two wins over Tennessee, the first time ever that Vanderbilt has defeated the Lady Vols twice in the same season. Date: Friday, March 21 Game time: 4:30 p.m. CT MIKAYLA BLAKES Inside Mikayla Blakes' transformation from late bloomer to Vanderbilt NCAA record-setting scoring machine Channel: ESPNews Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@ or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What time is Vanderbilt women's basketball vs. Oregon in 2025 March Madness?
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Shea Ralph's warning for Vanderbilt's March Madness opponents after South Carolina loss
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Mikayla Blakes knocked down a 3-pointer with just over four minutes left in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, cutting South Carolina's lead to five points. But Vanderbilt women's basketball didn't score the rest of the game. The No. 1 seed Gamecocks went on a 16-0 run, holding the Commodores scoreless to win 84-63 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Friday. Vanderbilt came back from a 25-point deficit at halftime. But once South Carolina took control down the stretch, its momentum snowballed and led to a scoreless 4:22 for the Commodores to end the game. Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph said she doesn't think it's difficult to stop that momentum, but it's "definitely not what you want" in the final minutes. "I think it's just having resolve," Ralph said. "I would say it felt maybe a littlebit deflating ... As a coach, I'm looking out there, you see after six or eight points, it's deflation, right? We can't be that. It's basketball. It a game of runs. It's not a great time to have a run for the other team, but we have to be better and let it be 4 to 6 points and not 16. Hopefully we can take that lesson away from today." But up until the final four minutes, Ralph saw a team that looked like itself in the second half after a bad second quarter. Vanderbilt outscored South Carolina 25-13 in the third quarter and 15-7 in the fourth before the Gamecocks scored the final 16 points of the game. "That's the best of who we are," Ralph said. "When we played like the team played in the third quarter and most of the fourth quarter, we're a team to be reckoned with in the NCAA Tournament." Vanderbilt is solidly in the field for the NCAA Tournament as opposed to last season when it was on the bubble. The Commodores were part of the First Four games, winning their play-in game against Columbia before falling to Baylor in the first round. IYANA MOORE: Why Vanderbilt senior Iyana Moore thanked freshman Mikayla Blakes after big game vs Tennessee Now, Vanderbilt is a projected No. 7 seed in March Madness. The next two weeks before the NCAA Tournament are all about preparing for a big moment like the Commodores had today, Ralph said. "I think we'll have another opportunity like we had today. I want to make sure that we feel mentally, physically, emotionally prepared for that moment," Ralph said. "That the kids that are out there really believe in the fact they can accomplish the things we set out to accomplish in the beginning of the year. I think we're one of the best teams in the country when we play like we did today for the majority of the second half. Now we have to make sure we do that for 40 minutes." This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Shea Ralph: Vanderbilt coach gives warning to NCAA Tournament teams
