Women's NCAA Tournament Fresno 1st Round Breakdowns
#1 Stanford vs. #16 Hampton
The Cardinal will be on the road playing in Norfolk, so Hampton will have crowd support on their side. Jericka Jenkins of Hampton will create a fun backcourt battle with Toni Kokenis but the Oguwmike sisters’ size and athleticism on the front line will wear down Hampton in the second half and pull away. Also watch out for Amber Orrange and Joslyn Tinkle to cause problems as well for Hampton. This game should end up being about a 30-40 point blowout when all is said and done
#8 West Virginia vs. #9 Texas
This is a game that should be interesting early but the Lady Mountaineers are a better team in this matchup. West Virginia is probably underseeded after posting an 11-5 Big East mark. They are paced by Asya Bussie scoring wise at 12.2 points per game. On the other side Texas is not a number 9 caliber seed losing by 23 to Texas Tech and posting an 8-10 Big 12 mark. Chassidy Fussell leads the Longhorns in scoring at 16.5 points per game and has been clutch at the line shooting just over 90 percent. West Virginia’s defense wins out in this game and wins a relatively close contest.
#5 South Carolina vs. #12 Eastern Michigan
Coach Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks have been one of the better stories in the SEC. They have a tremendous ability to play in your face defense. They won for the first time ever in Knoxville and have allowed over 55 points just ten times. Defense wins championships in March and the Gamecocks are highly equipped for a Sweet 16 run even with being at Purdue. Eastern Michigan is paced by Tavelyn James at 24.2 points per game. She is a very dynamic player who could be like last year’s version of Courtney Vandersloot and carry the Eagles to an upset victory over the Gamecocks. In the end, however, South Carolina should be a little too much and wear down the Eagles and win by around 10-12 points.
#4 Purdue vs. #13 South Dakota State
The Boilermakers, coming off of a Big Ten Tournament title, will be a host school for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. This should play nicely to their advantage as Mackey Arena usually has a very energized women’s basketball crowd. Brittany Rayburn has led the way for Purdue at 14.9 points per game and has been rock solid from behind the three point arc, shooting nearly 37 percent. South Dakota State comes in from the Summitt League as champions and is making their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Jackrabbits have played some BCS schools tough, beating Washington State and losing by only nine to Nebraska. This could be a tougher than expected battle for the host Boilermakers, but they should be able to move on to face South Carolina with a Sweet Sixteen berth on the line.
#6 Oklahoma vs. #11 Michigan
Both teams come in reeling after quick exits in their respective conference tournaments. The Sooners have been somewhat up and down at times, but are capable of making a run under the leadership of head coach Sherri Coale and veteran guard Whitney Hand in the backcourt. Having homecourt advantage in Norman should help a lot. The Sooners were definitely rewarded for their out of conference schedule. Michigan’s struggles offensively don’t make this a real great matchup for the Wolverines. Look for the Sooners to advance on to face most likely St. John’s.
#3 St. John's vs. #14 Creighton
Kim Barnes Arico is leading her Red Storm into the NCAA Tournament with their highest seed in school history. They had a huge signature win on the road at Storrs beating Uconn on February 18. That has really elevated the national profile for St. John’s. The Red Storm are led by Shennieka Smith and Da’Shena Stveens. Both players cause opposing defenses fits and this matchup against Creighton should not be any different. Look for St. John’s to pull away and wear down the Bluejays to set up a matchup with Oklahoma in the second round.
#7 Vanderbilt vs. #10 Middle Tennessee State
This in-state matchup should be very explosive and fun to watch. The potential of a small upset does loom in this contest as Alyssa Clark of Middle Tennessee could be the difference maker in knocking off the Commodores. However, Vanderbilt should be able to advance with playing at home in what should be a great atmosphere considering the proximity of both schools. Vanderbilt, under Melanie Balcomb, has been to ten NCAA tournaments in ten years. Christina Foggie, the SEC scoring champion, is the sparkplug to the Commodores offense and, if she is on, will be very difficult to stop. This is probably going to be one of the best games of this bracket in round one.
#2 Duke vs. #15 Samford
The Blue Devils rolled to a 15-1 campaign in the always tough ACC Conference play. The talent and athleticism on this squad is very deep and dangerous. Freshman Elizabeth Williams has lived up to the hype as she has led the team in scoring at 14.3 points a game. Also, Duke has done this despite being very injury plagued, losing three starters during the season due to injury and university rules issues. Chelsea Gray was also All-ACC selection and is second in scoring at 12.0 points per game. Samford is very dangerous from the three-point line as they average about seven three-point shots made per contest. This game could be close early, but Duke should overwhelm the Bulldogs in the end and move on to play potentially Vanderbilt on their home court in round two.
