Get ready for the new No. 1 women’s college basketball team.
My stay at Notre Dame’s top lasted only a week. North Carolina disrupts Ireland’s 104-95 with double overtime on Sunday in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Notre Dame will undoubtedly fall from the top spot when the Associated Press’ Top 25 was updated on Monday. The 2nd Texas, who plays Georgia on Monday, looks like the No. 1 ranking front runner. The Longhorns last held the spot in February 2004.
Defending NCAA champion South Carolina began season No. 1, and UCLA took over after beating the Gamecocks in Los Angeles on November 24th. Notre Dame rose after the defeat of UCLA at USC on February 13th.
The four schools held top rankings in the same season were South Carolina, Stanford, Louisville and UConn from 2020-21. Since the Associated Press poll began in 1976, there have been no more than four teams to reach number one in the same season.
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Sunday’s loss concluded Ireland’s 19-game winning streak. Notre Dame has not dropped the game since consecutive defeats to TCU and Utah on November 29th and 30th in the Cayman Islands tournament. However, Notre Dame, like the Irish, encountered a rare team with three elite guards.
Zoe Brooks, Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers scored or supported on 93 of 104 points in NC. Sonia Citron, Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles accounted for 77 of Ireland’s 95. That’s how good they are.
However, NC State, which played in the Final Four last season, was a slightly better Sunday, especially in its second overtime. Hidalgo, one of the National Player of the Year candidates, did not score in either period.
This loss also strengthened the ACC race with a week remaining in the regular season. Notre Dame still leads 15-1, with North Carolina winning 14-2 and North Carolina winning at Louisville on Sunday. Ireland finished at home games against Florida and Louisville. North Carolina hosts Wake Forest and is at SMU, while the Tar Heels are at Duke and host Virginia.
ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Charlie Creme and Michael Voepel defeated the ACC giants meeting on Sunday and the meaning of the outcome for March Madness.
How did NC State knock off No.1 Notre Dame?
Voepel: Guard, security guard, security guard. James, Brooks and the River were key offensively and defensively. The Irish security trio are rarely indecisive or hesitant, but the NC forced it on Sunday.
Notre Dame chased 40-36 at halftime for the first time this season. However, the Irish seemed to have a good opportunity to pull out the game after Citron’s three pointer tied the scores together in the remaining second of the regulations. Notre Dame seemed to be working overtime, but this was delayed due to a medical emergency in the stands.
Both teams began overtime with a focus at the end of regulations, with the initial additional period being 84-84. In the second OT, the NC state took over. Wolfpack Guard Trio scored or supported 18 of the team’s 20 points in the second additional period.
Sophomore Brooks finished with 33 points and 10 rebounds. James had 20 points and five rebounds, while fellow Senior Rivers had 14 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.
0:37
Asiaha James goes behind the back for a smooth layup
North Carolina forces Notre Dame timeout as Asiaha James goes behind her for a sweet layup.
Cream: Brooks was outstanding. Normally James is a big shot taker from the Wolfpack, but they were leaning heavily on Brooks’ hot hands. Her 33 points came from an efficient 20 field goal attempt at the free throw line and a 14-14 effort. This was part of Wolfpack’s two-fourth performance, earning 65.8% on this day. And Brooks performed on the other side with her friends and Ball Hawk Hidalgo. Hidalgo may be the candidate of the year, but Brooks was the best security guard in the court on Sunday.
Andrews: Freshman Tilda Trigger added an extra threat to the Wolfpack. The 6-foot-6 forward averaged 6.3 points on Sunday, but finished the day with a 19-matching high 19 seasons, putting continuous pressure on the rims and balanced scoring attacks on NC State. I gave it.
Trygger shot eight-ninths from the floor, including 2-for-2 from the 3-point range. She added nine rebounds and two blocks in a career-high 43 minutes. Heading into this season, Trigger was expected to take on a more developmental role in her first year. However, she proceeded to the first role, with Wolfpack 13-2 in the 15 games she started.
1:12
Sonia Citron’s Despair 3 Pointer Connects NC State in the final seconds
When Sonia Citron hits a tough three-pointer, Notre Dame sends the game overtime.
What went wrong with the Irish, and how does this affect your position as a potential title in the NCAA?
Cream: This was an unusual game that started with Notre Dame’s distinctive poor shooting. With the country’s third most accurate shooting team (50.0%), Ireland attempted 41.2% of field goals on Sunday. They took part in the game where they filmed a nationally highest of 41.4% with 3 pointers. Notre Dame made only seven-sevenths from behind the arc against the Wolfpack. In addition to the Citron 3 pointer that tied that score at the end of the regulations, it was the Irish Achilles heels all afternoon.
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NC defense to make things more difficult for the Irish people than other ACC teams have this season. Notre Dame did not track the previous conference game in half or in the fourth quarter. However, the choice of shots was also a problem for Notre Dame. Hidalgo and Miles forced several shots to finish the game with a 17-17 total from the field. But anomaly is the keyword here. This doesn’t mean that the Irish are not the ones who are all seasons, but instead changes Notre Dame status as one of the short list teams and won’t get it all.
Andrews: Notre Dame’s cold shooting was particularly expensive in the second overtime. NC State opened the period with a 10-0 run, eventually surpassing Notre Dame 12-3 in the final frame (and Ireland scored points when the game was already out of reach) ).
Notre Dame shot 6-6 in the final five minutes, but compared to Wolfpack’s 4-7, the Irish shot just 33.3% in both overtime periods. Hidalgo was tied up scorelessly through both extra frames and was fouled out with about a minute left.
How does Sunday agitation affect parentheses and seed number 1?
Cream: Notre Dame remains the No. 1 seed. However, the Irish fell to the fourth-ranked seed and moved to the Spokane area. The big winner here is NC State, jumping from 10th to 8th overall, making the Wolfpack the fourth seed.
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The ACC Tournament offers many opportunities for both teams. As this was a big win for NC State, an early exit from Greensboro, or a loss of either North Carolina or Duke, could two teams just behind the three lines cost NC State’s second seed It has sex. Notre Dame is now the most vulnerable No. 1 seed. Apart from reaching the ACC Tournament Championship Game, Irish people could be costly, depending on the outcome of the Big Ten (UCLA and USC) and the SEC (LSU and South Carolina). However, Notre Dame still has advantages, beating USC and UConn, the closest on the seed list.
Which team will take over first place in the AP Top 25?
Cream: This was fun for weeks, but the number one spot changed hands, and now it’s a Texas turn. The Longhorns enter Monday’s game against Georgia for 10 consecutive games, with their current second place to rise in the rankings. With Mississippi and Florida leaving their regular season schedules, it is possible that Texas is ranked number one in the SEC tournament.
Voepel: I agree with Charlie. Three teams won the No. 1 vote in last week’s AP poll. Notre Dame (16), Texas (8), and UCLA (6). The Bruins escaped Iowa 67-65 on Sunday, hitting two free throws with three seconds left in the victory margin. Given how Texas has played recently, they have won three consecutive top 10 wins – first-place Edge goes to the Longhorns.
How will Sunday’s upset and Hidalgo’s performance affect the National Player of the Year race?
Cream: I still list Hidalgo and USC’s Juju Watkins as awards co-favorites, but Hidalgo’s candidacy could have been a small hit. She played well (26 points, 5 rebounds), but we’re used to seeing her on another level in the big game. It’s a slight sound on your resume, not scoring in overtime with Ireland’s first loss in two months or more.
Lauren Betts also did well in UCLA’s narrow victory in Iowa on Sunday – 22 points, 12 rebounds – but that wasn’t enough to overtake Hidalgo and Watkins. This race is not over, so it will not be decided until Champion Week.
