Congratulations to Duke, UCLA, Texas and West Virginia, the tournament champions of the ACC, Big Ten, SEC and Big 12, respectively.
After forcing overtime against No. 12 Louisville, No. 13 Duke, the ACC Tournament’s No. 1 seed, won 70-65 to take their second-straight, and 10th overall, tourney title. In the Big Ten, No. 2 UCLA, the No. 1 seed after completing the conference regular-season slate undefeated, preserved their perfection without question, enjoying a 96-45 blowout win over No. 9 Iowa—a 51-point margin of victory to match the jersey number of Lauren Betts.
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In the SEC, it wasn’t necessarily a shocker that No. 4 Texas, the No. 3 seed in the tournament, took down No. 3-ranked and No. 1-seeded South Carolina. Yet, the way the Longhorns cruised to a 78-61 win was a surprise, giving Texas their first SEC conference title in their second year in the league. Finally, West Virginia claimed their first Big 12 Tournament title in almost a decade, with the No. 15 Mountaineers, the No. 2 seed in the Big 12, grinding out the 62-53 win over No. 10 TCU, the No. 1 seed that was seeking a second-straight tourney victory.
Here’s how Duke, UCLA, Texas and West Virginia claimed their coveted conference hardware.
Duke rebounded their way to an ACC Tournament repeat
With Duke, it’s never easy.
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But, the Blue Devils gritted and gutted out the overtime win, with Riley Nelson hitting a pivotal 3-pointer with under a minute remaining in regulation before draining the dagger in overtime.
For Louisville, a missed Imari Berry free throw, once again, was decisive. Berry, who missed a free throw that could have helped the Cardinals beat the Blue Devils in the regular season, split a pair at the line with 14 seconds remaining. With Duke down by two points instead of three, a Delaney Thomas layup with four seconds left was enough to send the game into extra time.
Throughout the game and in OT, the mantra, “No rebounds, no rings,” proved particularly true for Duke.
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Thomas’ career day of 19 points was driven by her relentlessness on the offensive glass; she was credited with seven offensive boards and nine overall. Taina Mair, named the tournament’s MVP, led the Blue Devils on the boards from the point guard position, grabbing 12 to go with her 19 points. Overall, Duke grabbed 42 boards to Louisville’s 34.
Add on timely 3-pointers, as Duke was 8-for-20 from downtown, and the Blue Devils persevered their way to another conference crown.
Thanks to West Virginia’s Big 12 upset of TCU, the Blue Devils also are forecasted by ESPN’s Bracketology to jump to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
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A “blowout” doesn’t adequately describe UCLA’s Big Ten Tournament dominance
UCLA almost immediately dispensed with any drama in the Big Ten, with a 22-5 first quarter kickstarting their record-breaking rout of Iowa.
The championship clincher was achieved with the kind of balance that has become the Bruins’ signature. Every UCLA starter scored in double figures, but no one scratched 20 points.
Gianna Kneepkens led the way with 19 points, powered by her 4-for-8 performance from 3. Kiki Rice, named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, added 15 points and eight assists.
From off the bench, Sienna Betts outscored her older sister, going 7-for-8 from the field for 14 points; she also had seven boards. Lauren only needed to chip in 10 points and four boards.
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As Zack Ward wrote in his Big Ten title game preview, UCLA has built a strong case for the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. While ESPN’s Bracketology still projects UConn—on the precipice of extending their undefeated season with a Big East Tournament title after winning their 49th-straight game by 49 points in the Big East semis, to hold on to the top spot—the Bruins’ resume, despite a loss to Texas, could be considered superior.
Texas takes down South Carolina for first SEC Tournament title
And speaking of Texas…
Suddenly, the Bruins’ loss to the newly-crowed SEC champs looks to be of an even higher-quality. A fast 14-0 start fueled Texas to their first SEC Tournament title. As members of the Big 12, the Longhorns won three tourney titles, most recently in 2024.
Texas dialed up their pressure defense from the tip, forcing five live-ball South Carolina turnovers in the game’s first three minutes. As Rori Harmon told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the game, “We just came out punching.” From there, the Gamecocks were out of sorts all afternoon, as the Longhorns maintained an advantage that never sunk below nine points.
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During the second half, every time South Carolina threatened to trim Texas’ lead, sending anticipatory tremors through the FAMs that filled the stands in Greenville, the Longhorns responded, preventing the Gamecocks from ever generating momentum.
Oftentimes, it was Jordan Lee issuing the answer. She finished with 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting. At other times, it was Madison Booker. After a quieter first half, she scored 14 points after halftime, ending with 18 points as she was named SEC Tournament MVP.
And at the controls was Harmon, who did a masterful job of milking the clock on Texas’ offensive possessions throughout the second half, making sure Texas did not sacrifice any little edge to the South Carolina.
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The championship win likely will have massive NCAA Tournament implications for Texas, as ESPN’s Bracketology projects them to overtake South Carolina for the No. 3 overall seed, which means they would start their March Madness march in nearby Fort Worth, rather than Sacramento.
Defense drives West Virginia to their second-ever Big 12 crown
They are a March Madness sleeper no more. Now, the Mountaineers are the Big 12 Tournament champions—and on the radar of every forthcoming NCAA Tournament foe.
Playing TCU for a third time this season, West Virignia finally came out on top.
The third quarter, when WVU held TCU to just nine points, was pivotal, turning a three-point Mountaineer halftime advantage, 26-23, into an 11-point lead, 43-31, heading into the fourth. TCU had their chances, but could never chip away enough to truly threaten. While the Horned Frogs finally cut the deficit to six points with under 40 seconds to go, the Mountaineers again made the necessary plays.
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Jordan Harrison went 4-for-4 from the free throw line down the stretch, sealing the victory. For the game, Harrison was a spectacular 10-for-10 from the stripe, scoring a game-high 21 points. She also had six boards and four assists, earning Most Outstanding Player honors.
Overall, WVU only missed two free throws, going 13-for-15 from the line while, despite their reputation for aggressive defense, sending the Horned Frogs to the line only six times. That free throw advantage combined with a 41-34 rebounding advantage to helped the Mountaineers hold on.
